Explore the Family Name Walder
The meaning of Walder
1. English (Sussex): from Middle English walder, welder, wolder ‘dweller in the wooded region or upland’. Compare Waldman 3. This type of formation, where the suffix -er is added to a topographic term, is mainly found in southern England, especially in Sussex, Surrey, and Kent. 2. English (Sussex): from the Middle English personal name Walder (Old English Wealdhere, from weald ‘power, rule’ + here ‘army’), the English counterpart of the Norman French name which gives rise to the much more frequent Walter. 3. German: habitational name for someone from any of several places called Wald, or a topographic name for someone who lived in a forest or wood, Middle High German walt.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Walder in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Walder experienced a decline in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, the surname was ranked 16,184th in terms of popularity, but by 2010 it had slipped to 19,559th, marking a drop of nearly 21 percent. The count of individuals with the surname also decreased, going from 1,642 in 2000 to 1,380 in 2010, a reduction of approximately 16 percent. Consequently, the proportion of Walders per 100,000 people decreased by almost 23 percent over this period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #16,184 | #19,559 | -20.85% |
| Count | 1,642 | 1,380 | -15.96% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.61 | 0.47 | -22.95% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Walder
When examining the ethnicity breakdown for the surname Walder, according to the Decennial U.S. Census, there were notable changes from 2000 to 2010. While the largest group remained those of white ethnicity, slightly declining from 82.7 percent to 82.25 percent, there were some significant shifts among other groups. Those identifying as Hispanic increased their share significantly, from 1.83 percent to 3.48 percent, a growth of over 90 percent. Similarly, those who identified as Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian/Alaskan Native saw increases of 18.03 percent and 32.65 percent respectively. However, those reporting Black ethnicity fell from 12.85 percent to 11.23 percent. Lastly, those identifying as two or more races slightly increased from 1.52 percent to 1.67 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 82.7% | 82.25% | -0.54% |
| Black | 12.85% | 11.23% | -12.61% |
| Hispanic | 1.83% | 3.48% | 90.16% |
| Two or More Races | 1.52% | 1.67% | 9.87% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.61% | 0.72% | 18.03% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.49% | 0.65% | 32.65% |