Gender Masculine
Pronounced Pron. WAWL-tər(English) VAL-tu(German) VAL-tehr(Swedish, Italian)  [key·IPA]

Meaning & History

From the Germanic name Waltheri meaning "power of the army", from the elements walt "power, authority" and heri "army". In medieval German tales (notably Waltharius by Ekkehard of Saint Gall) Walter of Aquitaine is a heroic king of the Visigoths. The name was also borne by an 11th-century French saint, Walter of Pontoise. The Normans brought it to England, where it replaced the Old English cognate Wealdhere.

A famous bearer of the name was the English courtier, poet and explorer Sir Walter Raleigh (1552-1618). It was also borne by Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832), a Scottish novelist who wrote Ivanhoe and other notable works.

Related Names

VariantsValter(Swedish) Gualtiero, Valter(Italian) Waldhar, Walther, Waltheri(Germanic)
DiminutivesWally, Walt, Wat(English)
Other Languages & CulturesWealdhere(Anglo-Saxon) Valter(Croatian) Wouter, Wolter, Wout(Dutch) Valter(Estonian) Valtteri(Finnish) Gauthier, Gautier, Gaultier(French) Watse(Frisian) Waldaharjaz(Old Germanic) Guálter, Wálter(Portuguese) Válter(Portuguese (Brazilian)) Bhaltair, Bhàtair(Scottish Gaelic) Valter(Slovene) Gutierre, Gualterio, Wálter(Spanish) Gwallter(Welsh)
Surname DescendantsWalter, Walters, Walterson, Waterman, Waters(English) Walter, Welter, Wolter(German) Waltersson(Swedish)
Same SpellingWálter

Popularity

People think this name is

classic   mature   formal   upper class   wholesome   strong   refined   strange   simple   serious  

Name Days

Austria: April 8
Austria: May 17
Poland: May 2
Poland: June 5
Poland: November 29

Images

Portrait of Sir Walter Scott (1822)Portrait of Sir Walter Scott (1822)

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Sources & References

  1. Förstemann, Ernst. Altdeutsches Namenbuch. Bonn, 1900, page 1507.
Entry updated December 7, 2022