Walter Name Origin, Meaning and Family History

Walter Name Meaning: From German proper name Walthari or Walthere, composed from words 'waltan' (to rule) & 'hari' (army)

The French form of Waltier & Wautier was brought to England by the Normans.

Discover how your Walter ancestors earned their living and spread across the country. Find out more about your family history by using the Free Search box.

Surname Distribution

Census frequency by county

Name Concentrations Within England and Wales

Buckinghamshire 87
Brecknockshire 101
Carnarvonshire 2
Cambridgeshire 55
Cardiganshire 19
Channel Islands 17
Cheshire 108
Carmarthenshire 298
Cornwall 74
Cumberland 29
Derbyshire 84
Denbighshire 4
Devon 447
Dorset 19
Durham 63
Essex 52
Glamorgan 215
Gloucestershire 185
Hampshire 170
Herefordshire 23
Hertfordshire 49
Hunts and Rutland 8
Kent 516
Lancashire 170
Leicestershire 30
Lincolnshire 135
London 1,062
Middlesex 50
Merionethshire 11
Monmouthshire 118
Northumberland 30
Norfolk 82
Northamptonshire 125
Nottinghamshire 107
Oxfordshire 128
Pembrokeshire 51
Shropshire 63
Suffolk 60
Somerset 286
Surrey 94
Sussex 309
Staffordshire 162
Warwickshire 190
Westmorland 25
Wiltshire 99
Worcestershire 106
Yorkshire 226
Anglesey 0
Bedfordshire 0
Berkshire 0
Flintshire 0
Isle of Man 0
Montgomeryshire 0
Radnorshire 0

Walter Surname Statistics


Top Professions for the Walter family

Profession Census Frequency
Agricultural Labourer 351
Female Servant 248
Independent 190
Farmer 146
Labourer 130
Male Servant 101
Shoe Maker 51
Carpenter 38
Tailor 36
Butcher 26
Collier 22
Miner 21
Gardener 20
Dress Maker 20
Silk Weaver 19
Clerk 19
Pupil 18
Mason 17
Blacksmith 16
Ag Labourer 16
Coal Miner 15
Servant 14
Laundress 14
Grocer 13
Weaver 13

Most Frequent Forenames for Walter

Name Census Frequency
William Walter 4,814
Mary Walter 4,612
John Walter 3,860
Elizabeth Walter 3,058
Thomas Walter 2,450
Sarah Walter 2,301
George Walter 2,082
James Walter 2,039
Ann Walter 1,543
Charles Walter 1,508
Henry Walter 1,379
Jane Walter 1,317
Eliza Walter 1,059
Joseph Walter 998
Alice Walter 961
Annie Walter 945
Emma Walter 926
Edward Walter 916
Ellen Walter 895
Frederick Walter 880
Richard Walter 802
Robert Walter 795
Alfred Walter 767
Margaret Walter 748
Emily Walter 730

Walter Surname Variants Ranking

Rank Surname Match Census Frequency
1 Walter 100% 72,215
2 Wallter 86% 431
3 Waltor 83% 404
4 Wilter 83% 241
5 Welter 83% 160
6 Wolter 83% 101

Did you know?

The surname Walter is the most popular version of all its varients

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