Baby name
Walter
/WAWL · ter/
Meaning
“Ruler of the army”
From Germanic 'wald' (rule) and 'heri' (army), meaning 'ruler of the army'.
How it ages.
Walter peaked 1920-1960 in English-speaking countries and remains steady mid-century masculine marker; minimal modern adoption.
The cultural moment.
United States and UK held Walter in top-50 1920-1960, then decline post-1980; shows signs of vintage-name revival post-2018.