How to say it
WAL · ter
/ˈwɔl.tər/
Masculine
Walter
Ruler of the army
What it means
Germanic Waldhar, from wald ('rule, power') plus heri ('army'). A commander's name with centuries of use behind it.
Walter is the Germanic Waldhar, 'ruler of the army,' carried into England by the Normans, who pronounced the W. It was a top-tier English name for centuries, behind Sir Walter Raleigh and Sir Walter Scott, then slid out of fashion by the mid-20th century. It's now riding the same great-grandpa revival as Arthur and Theodore. Walt and Wally are the shorts, the first cooler than the second these days.
Popularity over time
peaked at #10 in 1914, currently #252 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Nickname
Walt has picked up edge (Walt Disney, Walt Whitman, Walter White); Wally stayed cozy.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Walt Disney animation and theme-park pioneer
- Walter White the chemistry-teacher antihero of Breaking Bad
- Sir Walter Scott Scottish novelist and poet (Ivanhoe)
Spelling variants
- Walther
- Gualtiero
- Gauthier
Names with the same feeling
See Walter from another angle
By meaning
By style