Meaning not yet researched.
Walter: US boys given the name each year, 1880 to 2025, from Social Security card applications. 1,381 in 2025. Its best rank was #10 in 1914.
US births per year · SSA card applications
Peaked at #10 in 1914; #252 in 2025. Every baby recorded as Walter in 2025 was a boy.
Baby name · US data 1880–2025
#252 for US boys in 2025. Its best year was 1914, at #10.
Hover, tap or use the arrow keys for any year. Years with fewer than five babies of a sex are not published by SSA and show as zero.
Walter: US boys given the name each year from 1880 to 2025. 1,381 boys in 2025. Peak: #10 in 1914 · most boys in one year: 13,338 (1918).
In 2025, 1,381 US boys were named Walter, making it the 252nd most common boys’ name of the year, up 19 places from #271 in 2024. That is 112 more than the 1,269 boys named Walter in 2024. Its best rank for boys was #10, reached in 1914. The most boys given the name in a single year was 13,338, in 1918. For comparison, it was #309 in 2015 and #40 in 1950.
Social Security card records list Walter in every one of the 146 years from 1880 to 2025; in 1880 there were 1,763 babies with the name. In all, 634,804 US babies have been given the name, 0.6% of them girls and 99% boys. Its busiest decade was the 1920s, with 120,673 babies named Walter.
Over the 10 years from 2016 to 2025, 12,858 US boys were named Walter; the busiest of those years was 2025, with 1,381. In 2025 that was about 1 in 1,237 of the boys in SSA’s list for the year.
Among the states, Walter ranked highest in Minnesota in 2025, at #73 for boys there. It was in the top 100 in 1 state (counting DC). Related spellings in the SSA files include Wally (5,101 babies since 1880) and Walt (2,634 babies since 1880). Rarer spellings such as Walther and Valtteri are summarised on this page. The open nickname list we use links it to Wally and Walt.
Meaning not yet researched.
We publish a meaning only with a cited source and a confidence label, and never generate one. Meanings are being researched for the most common names first.
Wikidata records this spelling as a given name in Dutch, English, German, Italian and Polish. That is where the name is used, not necessarily where it comes from.
Rare spellings summarised here: Walther (96), Valtteri (7).
Numbers are all-time US births. Links come from Wikidata’s “said to be the same as” (P460, CC0).
US boys. Rank within each state. SSA leaves out states where fewer than five boys got the name, so 5 are not listed.
| State | Births 2025 | Rank 2025 | Rank 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | 78 | #73 | #147 |
| North Dakota | 12 | #105 | #219 |
| Maine | 12 | #118 | #274 |
| Vermont | 5 | #120 | — |
| Iowa | 33 | #125 | #292 |
| South Dakota | 11 | #126 | #244 |
| Alaska | 7 | #141 | #130 |
| Wisconsin | 44 | #145 | #171 |
| Montana | 10 | #148 | — |
| New Hampshire | 10 | #155 | — |
| Michigan | 61 | #164 | #282 |
| Nebraska | 18 | #166 | #430 |
| Tennessee | 58 | #170 | #274 |
| Missouri | 42 | #171 | #250 |
| Utah | 32 | #177 | #206 |
| Colorado | 37 | #189 | #274 |
| Alabama | 30 | #194 | #242 |
| Kansas | 21 | #195 | #266 |
| Idaho | 14 | #195 | #293 |
| Massachusetts | 32 | #201 | #268 |
| Illinois | 59 | #202 | #264 |
| District of Columbia | 5 | #203 | #168 |
| Washington | 39 | #208 | #273 |
| Virginia | 43 | #209 | #259 |
| South Carolina | 26 | #222 | #324 |
| Delaware | 5 | #243 | — |
| North Carolina | 50 | #255 | #292 |
| Mississippi | 13 | #258 | #191 |
| Pennsylvania | 46 | #260 | #433 |
| Oregon | 17 | #262 | #309 |
| Indiana | 32 | #266 | #323 |
| Georgia | 46 | #271 | #298 |
| Ohio | 46 | #272 | #335 |
| Connecticut | 12 | #279 | #298 |
| Arkansas | 13 | #283 | #481 |
| Oklahoma | 16 | #309 | #351 |
| Louisiana | 17 | #312 | #331 |
| New York | 53 | #336 | #365 |
| Arizona | 20 | #391 | #372 |
| Texas | 90 | #397 | #381 |
| Maryland | 13 | #406 | #284 |
| California | 70 | #461 | #350 |
| Florida | 40 | #464 | #405 |
| Kentucky | 10 | #483 | #243 |
| New Jersey | 16 | #486 | #289 |
| Nevada | 6 | #512 | — |
Births and national rank for each year SSA lists the name, newest first.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | — | 1,381 | #252 |
| 2024 | — | — | 1,269 | #271 |
| 2023 | — | — | 1,276 | #267 |
| 2022 | — | — | 1,278 | #269 |
| 2021 | — | — | 1,281 | #271 |
| 2020 | — | — | 1,240 | #272 |
| 2019 | — | — | 1,282 | #278 |
| 2018 | — | — | 1,313 | #271 |
| 2017 | — | — | 1,366 | #265 |
| 2016 | — | — | 1,172 | #302 |
| 2015 | — | — | 1,158 | #309 |
| 2014 | — | — | 987 | #337 |
| 2013 | — | — | 939 | #342 |
| 2012 | — | — | 805 | #375 |
| 2011 | — | — | 801 | #374 |
| 2010 | — | — | 784 | #372 |
| 2009 | — | — | 789 | #384 |
| 2008 | — | — | 764 | #393 |
| 2007 | — | — | 810 | #380 |
| 2006 | — | — | 850 | #356 |
| 2005 | — | — | 770 | #375 |
| 2004 | — | — | 767 | #365 |
| 2003 | — | — | 775 | #355 |
| 2002 | — | — | 833 | #331 |
| 2001 | — | — | 826 | #335 |
| 2000 | — | — | 949 | #308 |
| 1999 | — | — | 918 | #312 |
| 1998 | — | — | 896 | #313 |
| 1997 | — | — | 1,027 | #273 |
| 1996 | — | — | 1,035 | #272 |
| 1995 | 6 | #13,341 | 1,062 | #265 |
| 1994 | 7 | #11,748 | 1,152 | #250 |
| 1993 | 8 | #10,562 | 1,356 | #221 |
| 1992 | 10 | #8,722 | 1,421 | #218 |
| 1991 | — | — | 1,539 | #200 |
| 1990 | 7 | #11,385 | 1,614 | #191 |
| 1989 | 6 | #12,326 | 1,612 | #184 |
| 1988 | 23 | #4,012 | 1,610 | #175 |
| 1987 | 20 | #4,281 | 1,574 | #174 |
| 1986 | 10 | #7,121 | 1,715 | #156 |
| 1985 | 20 | #4,123 | 1,690 | #163 |
| 1984 | 9 | #7,391 | 1,689 | #161 |
| 1983 | 10 | #6,694 | 1,767 | #154 |
| 1982 | 19 | #4,163 | 1,912 | #147 |
| 1981 | 17 | #4,528 | 1,990 | #138 |
| 1980 | 16 | #4,740 | 2,009 | #137 |
| 1979 | 22 | #3,664 | 2,123 | #128 |
| 1978 | 22 | #3,508 | 1,991 | #131 |
| 1977 | 13 | #5,207 | 2,185 | #123 |
| 1976 | 20 | #3,536 | 2,101 | #127 |
| 1975 | 24 | #3,051 | 2,355 | #112 |
| 1974 | 11 | #5,356 | 2,487 | #104 |
| 1973 | 16 | #3,960 | 2,626 | #101 |
| 1972 | 30 | #2,448 | 2,918 | #98 |
| 1971 | 27 | #2,733 | 3,356 | #91 |
| 1970 | 31 | #2,446 | 3,584 | #89 |
| 1969 | 27 | #2,583 | 3,569 | #84 |
| 1968 | 29 | #2,294 | 3,589 | #83 |
| 1967 | 23 | #2,630 | 3,808 | #81 |
| 1966 | 24 | #2,516 | 4,057 | #83 |
| 1965 | 18 | #3,045 | 4,483 | #82 |
| 1964 | 15 | #3,510 | 4,843 | #80 |
| 1963 | 29 | #2,250 | 5,068 | #77 |
| 1962 | 34 | #2,028 | 5,282 | #79 |
| 1961 | 36 | #1,954 | 5,467 | #74 |
| 1960 | 31 | #2,093 | 5,763 | #70 |
| 1959 | 36 | #1,879 | 6,128 | #66 |
| 1958 | 35 | #1,871 | 6,316 | #63 |
| 1957 | 29 | #2,066 | 6,707 | #58 |
| 1956 | 35 | #1,834 | 7,019 | #53 |
| 1955 | 36 | #1,771 | 7,299 | #51 |
| 1954 | 34 | #1,799 | 7,486 | #49 |
| 1953 | 33 | #1,757 | 7,509 | #45 |
| 1952 | 26 | #2,020 | 7,897 | #44 |
| 1951 | 32 | #1,738 | 8,038 | #42 |
| 1950 | 36 | #1,574 | 7,798 | #40 |
| 1949 | 30 | #1,766 | 8,297 | #37 |
| 1948 | 28 | #1,819 | 8,627 | #35 |
| 1947 | 36 | #1,600 | 9,218 | #34 |
| 1946 | 43 | #1,336 | 8,668 | #30 |
| 1945 | 28 | #1,587 | 7,574 | #27 |
| 1944 | 44 | #1,204 | 8,159 | #26 |
| 1943 | 47 | #1,196 | 9,035 | #26 |
| 1942 | 45 | #1,194 | 8,682 | #26 |
| 1941 | 38 | #1,242 | 7,745 | #26 |
| 1940 | 39 | #1,185 | 7,723 | #25 |
| 1939 | 51 | #995 | 7,322 | #25 |
| 1938 | 39 | #1,180 | 7,560 | #26 |
| 1937 | 51 | #990 | 7,488 | #26 |
| 1936 | 36 | #1,205 | 7,536 | #26 |
| 1935 | 57 | #924 | 7,816 | #23 |
| 1934 | 61 | #874 | 8,092 | #21 |
| 1933 | 56 | #914 | 7,756 | #21 |
| 1932 | 75 | #788 | 8,667 | #21 |
| 1931 | 71 | #811 | 8,940 | #20 |
| 1930 | 84 | #772 | 9,731 | #19 |
| 1929 | 100 | #703 | 9,850 | #19 |
| 1928 | 89 | #758 | 10,651 | #18 |
| 1927 | 93 | #745 | 11,346 | #17 |
| 1926 | 92 | #756 | 11,774 | #17 |
| 1925 | 100 | #742 | 12,130 | #16 |
| 1924 | 86 | #808 | 12,696 | #16 |
| 1923 | 78 | #835 | 12,433 | #16 |
| 1922 | 83 | #802 | 12,631 | #15 |
| 1921 | 74 | #861 | 13,004 | #15 |
| 1920 | 69 | #879 | 13,294 | #13 |
| 1919 | 66 | #869 | 12,879 | #11 |
| 1918 | 80 | #801 | 13,338 | #11 |
| 1917 | 76 | #796 | 12,582 | #11 |
| 1916 | 74 | #795 | 11,760 | #11 |
| 1915 | 55 | #891 | 11,255 | #11 |
| 1914 | 37 | #986 | 8,962 | #10 |
| 1913 | 40 | #839 | 6,890 | #11 |
| 1912 | 39 | #808 | 5,809 | #11 |
| 1911 | 12 | #1,446 | 3,074 | #12 |
| 1910 | 11 | #1,518 | 2,596 | #13 |
| 1909 | 15 | #1,102 | 2,287 | #12 |
| 1908 | 6 | #2,093 | 2,192 | #12 |
| 1907 | 21 | #839 | 2,095 | #12 |
| 1906 | 12 | #1,153 | 1,934 | #12 |
| 1905 | 9 | #1,417 | 1,902 | #12 |
| 1904 | 13 | #1,048 | 1,873 | #12 |
| 1903 | 13 | #1,024 | 1,840 | #12 |
| 1902 | 12 | #1,073 | 1,858 | #12 |
| 1901 | 17 | #827 | 1,718 | #12 |
| 1900 | 11 | #1,223 | 2,298 | #12 |
| 1899 | 6 | #1,589 | 1,750 | #12 |
| 1898 | 11 | #1,097 | 2,002 | #13 |
| 1897 | 17 | #785 | 1,895 | #12 |
| 1896 | 9 | #1,210 | 2,017 | #13 |
| 1895 | 11 | #1,050 | 2,015 | #13 |
| 1894 | 17 | #743 | 2,010 | #13 |
| 1893 | 15 | #791 | 2,004 | #13 |
| 1892 | 10 | #1,014 | 2,229 | #13 |
| 1891 | 10 | #942 | 1,668 | #13 |
| 1890 | 12 | #823 | 1,905 | #13 |
| 1889 | 9 | #947 | 1,916 | #13 |
| 1888 | 5 | #1,467 | 2,040 | #13 |
| 1887 | — | — | 1,704 | #13 |
| 1886 | 11 | #730 | 1,880 | #13 |
| 1885 | 7 | #917 | 1,808 | #13 |
| 1884 | 7 | #927 | 1,902 | #13 |
| 1883 | 5 | #1,047 | 1,705 | #13 |
| 1882 | 7 | #808 | 1,805 | #13 |
| 1881 | 11 | #536 | 1,670 | #13 |
| 1880 | 8 | #675 | 1,755 | #13 |
About the data: counts are Social Security card applications for US births, for names given to at least five babies of a sex in a year (SSA, names.zip, public domain). Ranks follow SSA’s own order: most births first, ties alphabetical. Files retrieved 2026-10-05 (checksum on our sources page).