| Bernard | Walter | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Bold as a bear | Army ruler |
| Origin | germanic | germanic |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | BUR-nard | WAWL-ter |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 0 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1924 (4,505) | 1918 (13,338) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 1,381 |
| Trend | Vintage | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Bernard | Walter |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 845 | 7,725 |
| 2010s | 1,608 | 10,607 |
| 2000s | 2,252 | 8,133 |
| 1990s | 4,159 | 12,020 |
| 1980s | 6,507 | 17,568 |
| 1970s | 9,100 | 25,726 |
| 1960s | 17,475 | 45,929 |
| 1950s | 25,887 | 72,197 |
| 1940s | 26,446 | 83,728 |
| 1930s | 30,545 | 80,908 |
| 1920s | 42,408 | 119,809 |
| 1910s | 25,628 | 89,145 |
| 1900s | 3,296 | 19,997 |
| 1890s | 2,315 | 19,495 |
| 1880s | 1,616 | 18,185 |
From Germanic 'bern' (bear) and 'hard' (brave, hardy), 'brave/strong as a bear' - the bear being a warrior symbol. Borne by several saints.
From Germanic 'wald' (rule, power) and 'heri' (army), giving 'ruler/commander of the army'. Brought to England by the Normans.
Walter is more popular than Bernard today: about 1,381 US babies were given the name Walter in 2025, compared with 0 named Bernard.
Bernard means Bold as a bear (germanic origin), while Walter means Army ruler (germanic origin).
In US records, Bernard first appears in 0 and Walter in 1880, so Bernard has the longer recorded history.