Walter

The old German male name Walter is a shortened form of the older spelling Walther and translates to 'the ruler of the army', 'the one who rules in the army', and 'the army leader'. Its origin lies in the Old High German language.

What does the name Walter mean?

The old German male name Walter is a shortened form of the older spelling Walther and translates to 'the ruler of the army', 'the one who rules in the army', and 'the army leader'. Its origin lies in the Old High German language. Walter, or the original forms Walthari and Waltheri, is derived from the two roots waltan, which means 'to rule', 'to govern', or 'the ruler', and heri, which means 'the army', 'the war band', 'the army leader', or 'the warrior'. Walter is a traditional name that became widely used in Europe as early as the Middle Ages. Its spread was partly due to the legend of the legendary Visigothic king's son Walther of Aquitaine, which emerged around the 9th century and is known in the form of the Latin poem 'Waltharius' as well as the 'Waltherlied' or 'Waltharilied'. Additionally, the name was popularized around 1200 by the poet Walther von der Vogelweide, who composed around 90 love songs and 150 sayings. Another well-known ruler was Waltheri, the son of Wacho from his third wife Silinga, who was king of the Lombards from 539 to 546 AD. He was a child king, and his reign was managed by Audoin. In the 19th century, the name was revived following historical poetry. For example, in the book 'Wilhelm Tell' by Schiller, the father-in-law of Tell is mentioned as 'Walther Fürst' and Tell's son as 'Walther Tell'. The knight in Wagner's opera 'Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg' also bears the first name Walter, specifically Walter von Stolzing. Walter is also used as a surname. Note: The first name Walter carries the same meaning as Harald. Other variants include Valder, Valther, and Walder (Danish), Valter (Danish, Estonian, Finnish, Norwegian, and Swedish), Walther (German and Danish), Wolter (Low German), Woidda (Bavarian), Walti, Wali, and Walo (Swiss German), Walt (English), Valtteri (Finnish), Gauthier, Gautier, and Gaucher (French), Gualtiero and Valtiero (Italian), Gualterius and Gualtherus (Latin), Valters (Latvian), Wouter and Wout (Dutch), Valtar and Valtare (Norwegian), Guálter and Gualtério (Portuguese), Valtier and Valtierra (Romansh), Volter (Swedish), Gutierre, Gualtierre, and Galtero (Spanish), Valti, Valtika, and Valkó (Hungarian), Waller (Rhenish), and Waltrina.

Where does the name Walter come from?

Etymology The male name Walter has its origins in the Old High German language area. The old two-part name consists of the two components waltan for 'to rule', 'to govern', or 'the ruler' and heri for 'the army', 'the war band', 'the army leader', or 'the warrior'. The original forms of the name are considered to be Waltheri and Walthari. Old German Old High German

How do you pronounce Walter?

Sound & Pronunciation of Walter: The name Walter is two syllables and well-structured. In German pronunciation, it is usually pronounced as 'Wal-ter' [ˈvaltɐ], combining an open start with a consonant-rich middle. The hard 't' in the center gives the name contour. Walter appears traditional and stable - factual, reliable, and timeless.

When is the name day of Walter?

The name day of Walter is on January 22 (Walter of Bierbeek), March 23 (Walter of Rebais), May 17 (Walter of Mondsee), November 16 (Waltger of Dornberg), November 29 (Walterich of Murrhardt), and December 10.

Popularity

In Germany, the male name Walter was among the top 20 group in the late 19th century and established itself permanently in the top 10 from 1897. Between 1906 and 1908, it even reached the top position (1st place) multiple times. Strong years followed in 1912 and 1913 with 2nd place. During this phase, the name was one of the most popular boys' names. The actual peak phase began around 1919 with 1st place.

Nicknames & pet names

Alter / Alter Falter / Bahnhofsschalter / Kalter / Malta / Meingottwalter / Schalter / Socke / Spalter / Wa / Waddehaddedudeda / Wal / Wala / Walda / Walde / Waldi / Waldl / Walla / Walle / Waller / Walli / WallterFalter / Walo / Walt / Walterchen / Walteri / Walti / Waltraud / Wammel / Watle / Wädi

Similar first names

Famous people

• Ernst Walter Zeeden (German historian)
• Norbert Walter Peters (German musician)
• Sir Walter Raleigh (English explorer, poet, soldier, and courtier at the court of Queen Elizabeth I)
• Walter Anichhofer (actor)
• Walter Aubrey Thomas (British architect)
• Walter Baldessarini (Italian restaurant chain owner)
• Walter Beech (1891-1950 American aviation pioneer)
• Walter Beneteau (French racing cyclist)
• Walter Buschhoff (actor (Vinzenz in 'Forsthaus Falkenau'))
• Walter C. Dornez (character from the cult manga/anime 'Hellsing (Ultimate)')
• Walter C. Pitman (physicist from America)
• Walter Darnehl (German football player)
• Walter Demgen (German painter)
• Walter Elias 'Walt' Disney (American cartoonist and film producer and one of the most influential and honored figures in the film industry of the 20th century)
• Walter Fitz (schlager singer, composer, folk actor)
• Walter Fladerer (German football player)
• Walter Flinsch (rowing racer from the USA)
• Walter Frosch (former footballer)
• Walter Gates (fencer from Great Britain)
• Walter Glaser (physicist from Austria)