Find out how popular the last name Walther is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Walther.

Walther, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Walther surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Walther in America

Walther is the 5402nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Walther surname appeared 6,444 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Walther.

We can also compare 2010 data for Walther to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Walther

The surname Walther is of German origin, derived from the Germanic personal name Walther, which means "ruler of the army" or "army commander". It is composed of the elements "waltan" meaning "to rule" and "heri" meaning "army".

The name can be traced back to the 8th century, and it is believed to have originated in the region of southern Germany, particularly in Bavaria and Swabia. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval German records, such as the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae.

In the 12th century, a German knight named Walther von der Vogelweide (c. 1170-1230) was one of the most renowned poets and lyricists of the Middle Ages. He is considered one of the greatest poets of the German Middle Ages and his works had a significant influence on the development of German literature.

Another notable figure bearing the Walther surname was Johann Gottfried Walther (1684-1748), a German music theorist, organist, and composer. He is best known for his influential work, "Musicalisches Lexicon," which was one of the earliest comprehensive dictionaries of music.

In the 19th century, the name was associated with the German industrialist and inventor Walther Rathenau (1867-1922), who played a significant role in the economic and political development of Germany during and after World War I.

The Walther surname was also prominent in the field of firearms manufacturing. Carl Walther (1858-1915) founded the famous German firearms company Walther Arms, which is renowned for producing high-quality pistols and other firearms.

Another notable bearer of the Walther name was the German theologian and reformer Johannes Walther (1496-1570), who was a close associate of Martin Luther and played a crucial role in the Protestant Reformation.

From the earliest recorded instances to the present day, the Walther surname has been present in various fields, including literature, music, industry, and theology, reflecting its deep roots and historical significance in German culture and society.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Walther

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Walther.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Walther was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Walther has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

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

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

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