Explore the Family Name Walter
The meaning of Walter
1. English (of Norman origin), German, Dutch, Polish, Swedish, and Danish: from a personal name composed of the ancient Germanic elements wald ‘rule’ + heri, hari ‘army’. This personal name was introduced into England both in the reign of Edward the Confessor and by the Normans (in the forms Walt(i)er, Waut(i)er). After the Norman Conquest it soon became one of the most popular personal names in Britain. Compare Walther. 2. Germanized or Americanized form of Czech, Slovak, Croatian, and Slovenian Valter and Czech Valtr: from the personal name Valter, Valtr, of ancient Germanic origin (see 1 above).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Walter in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Walter saw a slight dip between 2000 and 2010, moving from rank 651 to 727, a decrease of approximately 11.67%. However, the actual count of individuals with the surname increased slightly during this period, from 47,615 in 2000 to 48,024 in 2010, reflecting a growth of 0.86%. The proportion per 100,000 people also reduced by 7.76%, moving from 17.65 in 2000 to 16.28 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #651 | #727 | -11.67% |
| Count | 47,615 | 48,024 | 0.86% |
| Proportion per 100k | 17.65 | 16.28 | -7.76% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Walter
The Decennial U.S. Census data also offers insight into the ethnic identity associated with the surname Walter. In 2000, 90.17% identified as White, dropping to 88.57% in 2010, a change of -1.77%. Those identifying as Black saw a minor increase from 5.96% in 2000 to 6.20% in 2010. The percentage of individuals with the surname Walter who identified as Hispanic rose from 1.62% in 2000 to 2.34% in 2010, an increase of 44.44%. There were also increases among those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander (from 0.61% to 0.94%) and American Indian and Alaskan Native (from 0.42% to 0.54%). There was also a small rise among those identifying with two or more races, from 1.22% to 1.42%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 90.17% | 88.57% | -1.77% |
| Black | 5.96% | 6.2% | 4.03% |
| Hispanic | 1.62% | 2.34% | 44.44% |
| Two or More Races | 1.22% | 1.42% | 16.39% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.61% | 0.94% | 54.1% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.42% | 0.54% | 28.57% |
Walter ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Walter is British & Irish, which comprises 37.8% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (36.3%) and Eastern European (7.2%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Spanish & Portuguese, and Nigerian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 37.8% |
| French & German | 36.3% |
| Eastern European | 7.2% |
| Other | 18.7% |
Possible origins of the surname Walter
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Walter have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 75.50% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 75.30% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 75.20% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 75.00% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 74.20% |
What Walter haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Walter is E-V13, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup E-V13 is descended from haplogroup E-M96. Other common haplogroups include R-U152 and R-P311, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Hoffman, Schmidt, Miller, Weber, Schaefer, Schmitt, Becker, Wolf, Mueller, Wagner.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Walter surname are: H1, H, V. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins E-M96
Your paternal lineage may be linked to early Balkan migrants
Haplogroup E1b1b1a1b1a migrated in large numbers from the Balkans into Europe about 4,500 years ago, triggered by the beginning of the Balkan Bronze Age. During this migration, members of haplogroup E1b1b1a1b1a mainly followed rivers connecting the southern Balkans to northern-central Europe. Technological leaps often cause lineages to grow dramatically in numbers and in geographic range. The development of Bronze technology may have given men in haplogroup E1b1b1a1b1a a competitive advantage over other men, causing haplogroup E1b1b1a1b1a to proliferate and become widespread.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Walter have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Walter" Surname 43.3%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Walter" Surname 25.4%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Walter" Surname 19.0%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Walter" Surname 19.2%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Walter?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Walter are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition