Walter remains a common boys' name (#251 in 2025), down from a peak of #10 in 1914.
Walter is predominantly a boy name. In 2025 it ranked #252 for boy births in the United States (and #486 across all names), given to 1,381 babies. Walter first appears in 1880 and peaked in 1918 (13,338 births).
| Year | U.S. births | U.S. + territories | ♀ Rank | ♂ Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,381 | 1,381 | — | #252 |
| 2024 | 1,269 | 1,269 | — | #271 |
| 2023 | 1,276 | 1,276 | — | #267 |
| 2022 | 1,278 | 1,278 | — | #269 |
| 2021 | 1,281 | 1,281 | — | #271 |
| 2020 | 1,240 | 1,240 | — | #272 |
| 2019 | 1,282 | 1,282 | — | #278 |
| 2018 | 1,313 | 1,313 | — | #271 |
| 2017 | 1,366 | 1,366 | — | #265 |
| 2016 | 1,172 | 1,172 | — | #302 |
| 2015 | 1,158 | 1,158 | — | #309 |
| 2014 | 987 | 987 | — | #337 |
| 2013 | 939 | 945 | — | #342 |
| 2012 | 805 | 805 | — | #375 |
| 2011 | 801 | 806 | — | #374 |
| 2010 | 784 | 791 | — | #372 |
| 2009 | 789 | 789 | — | #384 |
| 2008 | 764 | 771 | — | #393 |
| 2007 | 810 | 816 | — | #380 |
| 2006 | 850 | 855 | — | #356 |
| 2005 | 770 | 770 | — | #375 |
| 2004 | 767 | 772 | — | #365 |
| 2003 | 775 | 783 | — | #355 |
| 2002 | 833 | 844 | — | #331 |
| 2001 | 826 | 841 | — | #335 |
| 2000 | 949 | 961 | — | #308 |
| 1999 | 918 | 937 | — | #312 |
| 1998 | 896 | 915 | — | #313 |
| 1997 | 1,027 | — | — | #273 |
| 1996 | 1,035 | — | — | #272 |
| 1995 | 1,068 | — | #13,341 | #265 |
| 1994 | 1,159 | — | #11,748 | #250 |
| 1993 | 1,364 | — | #10,562 | #221 |
| 1992 | 1,431 | — | #8,722 | #218 |
| 1991 | 1,539 | — | — | #200 |
| 1990 | 1,621 | — | #11,385 | #191 |
| 1989 | 1,618 | — | #12,326 | #184 |
| 1988 | 1,633 | — | #4,012 | #175 |
| 1987 | 1,594 | — | #4,281 | #174 |
| 1986 | 1,725 | — | #7,121 | #156 |
| 1985 | 1,710 | — | #4,123 | #163 |
| 1984 | 1,698 | — | #7,391 | #161 |
| 1983 | 1,777 | — | #6,694 | #154 |
| 1982 | 1,931 | — | #4,163 | #147 |
| 1981 | 2,007 | — | #4,528 | #138 |
| 1980 | 2,025 | — | #4,740 | #137 |
| 1979 | 2,145 | — | #3,664 | #128 |
| 1978 | 2,013 | — | #3,508 | #131 |
| 1977 | 2,198 | — | #5,207 | #123 |
| 1976 | 2,121 | — | #3,536 | #127 |
| 1975 | 2,379 | — | #3,051 | #112 |
| 1974 | 2,498 | — | #5,356 | #104 |
| 1973 | 2,642 | — | #3,960 | #101 |
| 1972 | 2,948 | — | #2,448 | #98 |
| 1971 | 3,383 | — | #2,733 | #91 |
| 1970 | 3,615 | — | #2,446 | #89 |
| 1969 | 3,596 | — | #2,583 | #84 |
| 1968 | 3,618 | — | #2,294 | #83 |
| 1967 | 3,831 | — | #2,630 | #81 |
| 1966 | 4,081 | — | #2,516 | #83 |
| 1965 | 4,501 | — | #3,045 | #82 |
| 1964 | 4,858 | — | #3,510 | #80 |
| 1963 | 5,097 | — | #2,250 | #77 |
| 1962 | 5,316 | — | #2,028 | #79 |
| 1961 | 5,503 | — | #1,954 | #74 |
| 1960 | 5,794 | — | #2,093 | #70 |
| 1959 | 6,164 | — | #1,879 | #66 |
| 1958 | 6,351 | — | #1,871 | #63 |
| 1957 | 6,736 | — | #2,066 | #58 |
| 1956 | 7,054 | — | #1,834 | #53 |
| 1955 | 7,335 | — | #1,771 | #51 |
| 1954 | 7,520 | — | #1,799 | #49 |
| 1953 | 7,542 | — | #1,757 | #45 |
| 1952 | 7,923 | — | #2,020 | #44 |
| 1951 | 8,070 | — | #1,738 | #42 |
| 1950 | 7,834 | — | #1,574 | #40 |
| 1949 | 8,327 | — | #1,766 | #37 |
| 1948 | 8,655 | — | #1,819 | #35 |
| 1947 | 9,254 | — | #1,600 | #34 |
| 1946 | 8,711 | — | #1,336 | #30 |
| 1945 | 7,602 | — | #1,587 | #27 |
| 1944 | 8,203 | — | #1,204 | #26 |
| 1943 | 9,082 | — | #1,196 | #26 |
| 1942 | 8,727 | — | #1,194 | #26 |
| 1941 | 7,783 | — | #1,242 | #26 |
| 1940 | 7,762 | — | #1,185 | #25 |
| 1939 | 7,373 | — | #995 | #25 |
| 1938 | 7,599 | — | #1,180 | #26 |
| 1937 | 7,539 | — | #990 | #26 |
| 1936 | 7,572 | — | #1,205 | #26 |
| 1935 | 7,873 | — | #924 | #23 |
| 1934 | 8,153 | — | #874 | #21 |
| 1933 | 7,812 | — | #914 | #21 |
| 1932 | 8,742 | — | #788 | #21 |
| 1931 | 9,011 | — | #811 | #20 |
| 1930 | 9,815 | — | #772 | #19 |
| 1929 | 9,950 | — | #703 | #19 |
| 1928 | 10,740 | — | #758 | #18 |
| 1927 | 11,439 | — | #745 | #17 |
| 1926 | 11,866 | — | #756 | #17 |
| 1925 | 12,230 | — | #742 | #16 |
| 1924 | 12,782 | — | #808 | #16 |
| 1923 | 12,511 | — | #835 | #16 |
| 1922 | 12,714 | — | #802 | #15 |
| 1921 | 13,078 | — | #861 | #15 |
| 1920 | 13,363 | — | #879 | #13 |
| 1919 | 12,945 | — | #869 | #11 |
| 1918 | 13,418 | — | #801 | #11 |
| 1917 | 12,658 | — | #796 | #11 |
| 1916 | 11,834 | — | #795 | #11 |
| 1915 | 11,310 | — | #891 | #11 |
| 1914 | 8,999 | — | #986 | #10 |
| 1913 | 6,930 | — | #839 | #11 |
| 1912 | 5,848 | — | #808 | #11 |
| 1911 | 3,086 | — | #1,446 | #12 |
| 1910 | 2,607 | — | #1,518 | #13 |
| 1909 | 2,302 | — | #1,102 | #12 |
| 1908 | 2,198 | — | #2,093 | #12 |
| 1907 | 2,116 | — | #839 | #12 |
| 1906 | 1,946 | — | #1,153 | #12 |
| 1905 | 1,911 | — | #1,417 | #12 |
| 1904 | 1,886 | — | #1,048 | #12 |
| 1903 | 1,853 | — | #1,024 | #12 |
| 1902 | 1,870 | — | #1,073 | #12 |
| 1901 | 1,735 | — | #827 | #12 |
| 1900 | 2,309 | — | #1,223 | #12 |
| 1899 | 1,756 | — | #1,589 | #12 |
| 1898 | 2,013 | — | #1,097 | #13 |
| 1897 | 1,912 | — | #785 | #12 |
| 1896 | 2,026 | — | #1,210 | #13 |
| 1895 | 2,026 | — | #1,050 | #13 |
| 1894 | 2,027 | — | #743 | #13 |
| 1893 | 2,019 | — | #791 | #13 |
| 1892 | 2,239 | — | #1,014 | #13 |
| 1891 | 1,678 | — | #942 | #13 |
| 1890 | 1,917 | — | #823 | #13 |
| 1889 | 1,925 | — | #947 | #13 |
| 1888 | 2,045 | — | #1,467 | #13 |
| 1887 | 1,704 | — | — | #13 |
| 1886 | 1,891 | — | #730 | #13 |
| 1885 | 1,815 | — | #917 | #13 |
| 1884 | 1,909 | — | #927 | #13 |
| 1883 | 1,710 | — | #1,047 | #13 |
| 1882 | 1,812 | — | #808 | #13 |
| 1881 | 1,681 | — | #536 | #13 |
| 1880 | 1,763 | — | #675 | #13 |