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Walter

Gender: M Popularity: this week. Origin of Walter: German Meaning of Walter: "army ruler" Walter's Popularity in 2012: #376
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Walter was seen as a noble name in the Sir Walter Raleigh and Sir Walter Scott era, but has long been in baby name limbo. Now a few independent-minded parents are looking at it as a renewable, slightly quirky, classic, stronger and more distinctive than James or John.

A favorite Norman name, Walter was extremely popular in medieval England (when it was pronounced 'Water'), and in this country from the 1870s through the 1940s. Plus there are all those great Walters and Walts to consider, from Whitman to Disney to Cronkite to Mondale to Payton to Matthau to the ultimate fantasizer Walter Mitty, not to mention (Walter) Bruce Willis.

Actor Rainn Wilson named his son Walter.

Famous People Named Walter

Walter Elias "Walt" Disney, American film producer and icon
Walter "Walt" Whitman, American poet
Walter Cronkite, American journalist
Walter Inglis Anderson, American painter
Walter Benjamin, German social and cultural theorist
Walter Johnson, American baseball pitcher
Walter Kirn, American author
Walter Mondale, 42nd Vice President of the United States
Walter Bruce Willis, American actor
Sir Walter Raleigh, English explorer
Walter Lantz, creator of Woody Woodpecker
Walter Scott, Scottish historical novelist

Pop Culture References for the Name Walter

Walter White (and Walter White, Jr.) from the TV show Breaking Bad.
Walter Sherman in the TV show The Finder
Walter Bishop, character on the American TV show, 'Fringe'
Walter Blythe, son of Anne and Gilbert Blythe in the "Anne of Green Gables" series
Walter Sullivan, character in the game Silent Hill 4: The Room
Walter Sobchak from the movie The Big Lebowski

Walt, Walten

Walter's International Variations

Waltr, Valtr, Vladko (Czech) Wouter, Weit (Dutch) Gautier, Gauther (French) Walder, Walton, Walli, Walten, Walther, Waltili (German) Gualtiero (Italian) Waldemar (Lithuanian) Landislaus (Polish) Vovka, Dima, Volya, Dimka, Vladimir (Russian) Woulter, Wolter, Valter (Scandinavian) Bhaltairbhàtair, Bhaltair (Scottish Gaelic) Gutierre, Gualterio (Spanish) Gwallter (Welsh)