Walter surname: U.S. census count, rank and records | FamilyCrests

The Walter surname

In the 2000 U.S. Census, 47,615 people carried this name — #651 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 5,670 people counted.

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In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 5,150 people named Walter.

270 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 89 départements, most often Bas-Rhin.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they were born

Born outside France 270
Bas-Rhin 1,791
Haut-Rhin 855
Moselle 595
Paris 329
Meurthe-et-Moselle 265
Vosges 108
Territoire de Belfort 105
Yvelines 65

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

In Switzerland’s population statistics

3,182 people named Walter live in Switzerland.

They live in 23 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they live today

Zurich 732
Bern 344
Solothurn 284
Aargau 247
Schaffhausen 219
Thurgau 200
St. Gallen 180
Valais 164

Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.

In Poland’s population register

2,158 people named Walter have a registered home in Poland.

Of the 2,655 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in all 16 of Poland’s voivodeships, most of all in Kuyavian-Pomeranian.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they live today

Kuyavian-Pomeranian 415
Silesian 385
Greater Poland 324
Pomeranian 211
Masovian 167
Lower Silesian 157
Łódź 122
West Pomeranian 86

PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.

In Belgium’s population register

At least 44 people named Walter live in Belgium.

Statbel only publishes a name in a municipality when five or more people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Liège.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Liège 10
Brussels-Capital 7
Antwerp 6
Namur 6
Flemish Brabant 5
West Flanders 5
Hainaut 5

Statbel (Statistics Belgium), family names of the population by municipality, 1 January 2026 — CC BY 4.0.

In print

Walter in American newspapers,
1871–1939.

Newspaper page from Iowa Voter carrying the name Walter
Iowa Voter 1871-08-03
Newspaper page from Luxemburger Gazette carrying the name Walter
Luxemburger Gazette 1882-05-30
Newspaper page from The Birmingham Age-Herald carrying the name Walter
The Birmingham Age-Herald 1913-04-20

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 4,801,071 pages in all carry the name.

Who carried it

People named Walter,
with a public archive behind them.

  • John Walter
    John Walter 1670–1722 · politician
  • Anton Walter
    Anton Walter 1752–1826 · composer
  • John Walter
    John Walter 1776–1847 · politician
  • Thomas Ustick Walter
    Thomas Ustick Walter 1804–1887 · architect
  • John Walter
    John Walter 1818–1894 · politician

Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · 177 lives in all are documented under this name.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Walter is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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