Colin vs Walter
Colin and Waltercompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1958, Colin was ranked #29 and Walter #97 among boys in New Zealand.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Colin was ranked #119 and Walter #108 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Colin was ranked #1000 and Walter #344 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Colin was ranked #348 and Walter #829 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Colin and Walter over time
Colin and Walter appear together in 3 published lists, across 107 years of shared records. Colin held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Walter in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Colin and Walter changed places 4 times in Norway · Boys between 1946 and 2025, ending at #119 and #108.
- Longest-running competitions
Colin and Walter were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 51 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #348 and #829.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Norway · Boys within 2 years — Colin #119 in 2025, Walter #108 in 2025.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys51 shared years, 1964–2025
Colin held the stronger position in 51 of those years, Walter in 0.
Highest recorded here: Colin #38 in 1985, Walter #105 in 1968.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Colin #348, Walter #829.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Colin held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Walter in 14.
Highest recorded here: Colin #311 in 1997, Walter #271 in 2019.
The order changed in 2011: Walter moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #491 and #758; by 2011 that had become #732 and #718.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Colin #1000, Walter #344.
Norway · Boys27 shared years, 1946–2025
Colin held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Walter in 9.
Highest recorded here: Colin #119 in 2025, Walter #108 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Colin #119, Walter #108.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Colin | Walter |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #119 (2025) | Norway · Boys #108 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Colin and Walter both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Colin
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #326 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–1983
Highest recorded position: #22 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1983).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #119 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Walter
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #178 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #108 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys