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