Find out how popular the first name Walt has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Walt by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Walt is exclusively a male name.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 45 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Walt.

The history of the first name Walt

The name Walt is a short form of the Germanic name Walter, derived from the Old German words "wald" meaning "ruler" and "heri" meaning "army". The name can be traced back to the 8th century AD when it was commonly used among the Franks and other Germanic tribes.

Walter was a popular name during the Middle Ages, particularly in England and France. One of the earliest recorded examples of the name is Walter of Coutances, a Norman archbishop who lived in the late 11th century. The name also appears in literary works such as the 12th-century chanson de geste "The Song of Roland".

The shortened form Walt emerged in the late 18th century and became more widespread in the 19th century. One of the earliest notable individuals with the name Walt was Walt Whitman, the American poet and essayist, born in 1819 and regarded as one of the most influential poets in the American canon.

Other notable individuals named Walt throughout history include Walt Disney, the American entrepreneur, animator, writer, voice actor, and film producer, born in 1901 and co-founder of The Walt Disney Company. Walt Whitman Rostow, an American economist and political theorist born in 1916, served as a Special Assistant for National Security Affairs under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson.

Walt Frazier, an American professional basketball player born in 1945, was a seven-time NBA All-Star and a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Walt Bellamy, an American professional basketball player born in 1939, was a four-time NBA All-Star and a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Walt was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Walt, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!