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Walter Family History

Walter Name Meaning

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 . 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).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Walper, Alter, Waller, Malter, Walder, Salter, Balter, Witter, Halter

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Walter family from?

You can see how Walter families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Walter family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Walter families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 2,241 Walter families living in London. This was about 24% of all the recorded Walter's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Walter families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Walter surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Walter ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Walter. 8% of Walter men worked as a General Labourer and 63% of Walter women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Walter were Farmer and Housewife. .

View Census Data for Walter | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    8%
  • Retired
    5%
  • Builders Labourer
    4%
  • Farmer
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    63%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Private Means
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Walter family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 468,000 census records available for the last name Walter. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Walter census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Australian census records for Walter

Passenger Lists

There are 103,000 immigration records available for the last name Walter. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Australia, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Walter immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 94,000 military records available for the last name Walter. For the veterans among your Walter ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Walter lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Walter life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Walter in 1941 was 41, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Walter

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