Walter is a name of Germanic origin, derived from the Old German name Walthari, which is composed of two elements: wald, meaning "rule," and hari, meaning "army." Therefore, Walter can be translated as "ruler of the army" or "commander of the troops."
The name Walter was introduced to Britain during the Norman Conquest in 1066, when William the Conqueror invaded England. It became popular among the nobility and was used by several notable families over the centuries.
One of the earliest known figures with the name Walter is Saint Walter of Pontoise, a French bishop who lived in the 12th century. He is revered as a saint by the Catholic Church and his feast day is celebrated on November 8th.
Throughout history, there have been many notable individuals named Walter, including:
* Walter Scott (1771-1832), a Scottish novelist and poet who wrote works such as "Ivanhoe" and "The Lady of the Lake."
* Walter Gropius (1883-1969), a German-American architect known for founding the Bauhaus school and designing buildings like the Pan Am Building in New York City.
* Walter Cronkite (1916-2009), an American broadcast journalist who served as the anchor of CBS Evening News from 1962 to 1981.
Walter remains a popular choice for boys' names today, appearing in various forms such as Wallace, Walther, and Walther. It has been consistently ranked among the top 500 baby boy names in the United States since the 1970s.
The name Walter experienced significant fluctuations in popularity over the years. In the late 19th to early 20th century, it was quite popular, with over 2000 births per year from 1880 to 1927. However, it began a steady decline around the 1930s and continued until the 1960s when it dipped below 5000 births annually. The popularity of Walter as a baby name has remained relatively low since then, with fewer than 2000 births recorded in most years between 1970 and 2023.