Walter is a distinctive choice, ranked #344 in 2024. Your child is likely to be the only Walter in their class.
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UK Rank 2024
#344
US Rank #271
About the Name Walter
Walter is gradually declining in popularity, having dropped 52 places over five years. Its high point was #271 in 2019, and it now sits at #344. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996.
Walter is distinctive enough that your child will likely be the only one in both their class and their school — standing out on every register.
In the US it ranks even higher at #271, where it enjoys a particularly strong following.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Walter
Unlikely. With around 127 UK babies named Walter per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Walter in his class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Walter has been declining in UK popularity, dropping 52 places in the last five years. Its peak was #271 in 2019. Choosing it now means he is likely to be among the last of his generation with this name.
Walter is more popular in the US (#271) than in the UK (#344). Names with strong rankings in both countries tend to have broad cross-cultural appeal, working well for international families or those with ties to both nations.
Notable people named Walter include: Walter Ostanek — Ladislav John "Walter" Ostanek, CM is a Canadian musician.; Harriet Walter — Dame Harriet Mary Walter is an English actress.; Walter Isaacson — Walter Seff Isaacson is an American journalist who has written biographies of Henry Kissinger, Benjamin Franklin, Leonardo da Vinci, Albert Einstein, Steve....
Walter appears in the US top 500 at #271 in 2024 — moderately popular in America, though less so than in the UK.
127
UK babies named Walter (2024)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.1
In a school of 600
↓ 52 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Walter
Likely around 1 other Walter in the class
UK Popularity (1996–2024)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
US Popularity (2020–2024)
Rank · SSA official data
✨ Similar names to Walter
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Ladislav John "Walter" Ostanek, CM is a Canadian musician. He is known as "Canada's Polka King." He has received thirteen nominations for Grammy Awards and won three.
Dame Harriet Mary Walter is an English actress. She has received an Olivier Award and nominations for a Tony Award, five Emmy Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
Walter Seff Isaacson is an American journalist who has written biographies of Henry Kissinger, Benjamin Franklin, Leonardo da Vinci, Albert Einstein, Steve Jobs, Jennifer Doudna, and Elon Musk. As of 2024, Isaacson is a professor at Tulane University and, since 2018, an interviewer for the PBS and CNN news show Amanpour & Company.
Mark Richard Walter is an American businessman, philanthropist, and the chief executive officer of Guggenheim Partners, a privately held global financial services firm with more than $345 billion in assets under management. He is also the CEO and co-chairman of TWG Global, an American multinational holding company.
Walter Stanley Keane was an American plagiarist who became famous in the 1960s as the claimed painter of a series of widely reproduced paintings depicting vulnerable subjects with enormous eyes. The paintings are now accepted as having been painted by his then-wife, Margaret Keane.
Walter Farley was an American author, primarily of horse stories for children. His first and most famous work was The Black Stallion, the success of which led to many sequels over decades; the series has been continued since his death by his son Steven.