| Henry | Walter | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Home ruler | Army ruler |
| Origin | Germanic | germanic |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | HEN-ree | WAWL-ter |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2025 (12,020) | 1918 (13,338) |
| In 2025 | 12,020 | 1,381 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Henry | Walter |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 68,047 | 7,725 |
| 2010s | 92,585 | 10,607 |
| 2000s | 42,760 | 8,133 |
| 1990s | 25,249 | 12,020 |
| 1980s | 20,728 | 17,568 |
| 1970s | 23,511 | 25,726 |
| 1960s | 39,134 | 45,929 |
| 1950s | 62,230 | 72,197 |
| 1940s | 72,488 | 83,728 |
| 1930s | 70,419 | 80,908 |
| 1920s | 104,552 | 119,809 |
| 1910s | 79,667 | 89,145 |
| 1900s | 21,772 | 19,997 |
| 1890s | 21,664 | 19,495 |
| 1880s | 24,139 | 18,185 |
Henry is a Germanic name meaning “home ruler,” from heim (“home”) and ric (“ruler”). It has been borne by eight English kings.
From Germanic 'wald' (rule, power) and 'heri' (army), giving 'ruler/commander of the army'. Brought to England by the Normans.
Henry is more popular than Walter today: about 12,020 US babies were given the name Henry in 2025, compared with 1,381 named Walter.
Henry means Home ruler (Germanic origin), while Walter means Army ruler (germanic origin).
In US records, Henry first appears in 1880 and Walter in 1880, so Henry has the longer recorded history.