| Walter | Louis | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Army ruler | Famous warrior |
| Origin | germanic | germanic |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | WAWL-ter | LOO-ee |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1918 (13,338) | 1921 (7,247) |
| In 2025 | 1,381 | 1,391 |
| Trend | Rising | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Walter | Louis |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 7,725 | 8,577 |
| 2010s | 10,607 | 11,815 |
| 2000s | 8,133 | 10,262 |
| 1990s | 12,020 | 14,436 |
| 1980s | 17,568 | 17,354 |
| 1970s | 25,726 | 20,145 |
| 1960s | 45,929 | 33,382 |
| 1950s | 72,197 | 47,933 |
| 1940s | 83,728 | 49,430 |
| 1930s | 80,908 | 47,754 |
| 1920s | 119,809 | 67,693 |
| 1910s | 89,145 | 50,600 |
| 1900s | 19,997 | 10,372 |
| 1890s | 19,495 | 8,442 |
| 1880s | 18,185 | 8,275 |
From Germanic 'wald' (rule, power) and 'heri' (army), giving 'ruler/commander of the army'. Brought to England by the Normans.
From the Frankish Hludwig, combining 'hlud' (famous, loud) with 'wig' (war, battle), hence 'famous in war'. Carried by 18 kings of France.
Louis is more popular than Walter today: about 1,391 US babies were given the name Louis in 2025, compared with 1,381 named Walter.
Walter means Army ruler (germanic origin), while Louis means Famous warrior (germanic origin).
In US records, Walter first appears in 1880 and Louis in 1880, so Walter has the longer recorded history.