Gerard vs Walter
Gerard 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, Gerard was ranked #94 and Walter #97 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Gerard was ranked #1675 and Walter #344 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Gerard was ranked #348 and Walter #829 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Gerard was ranked #727 and Walter #478 among boys in Scotland.
Gerard and Walter over time
Gerard and Walter appear together in 2 published lists, across 80 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Gerard reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Walter in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
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.
- Longest-running competitions
Gerard and Walter were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 51 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #348 and #829.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys51 shared years, 1964–2025
Gerard held the stronger position in 51 of those years, Walter in 0.
Highest recorded here: Gerard #10 in 1964, Walter #105 in 1968.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Gerard #348, Walter #829.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Gerard held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Walter in 19.
Highest recorded here: Gerard #462 in 1997, Walter #271 in 2019.
The order changed in 2006: Walter moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #1047 and #1299; by 2006 that had become #1048 and #984.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Gerard #1675, Walter #344.
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 | Gerard | Walter |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Combines Old German 'ger' (spear) with 'hart' (hard, firm, brave) — 'spear-brave'. Borne by saints from Belgium, Germany, Hungary and Italy; brought to Britain by the Normans. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Germanic | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈd͡ʒɛɹ.əd/ | |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #348 (2025) | Norway · Boys #108 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Gerard has a recorded origin (Germanic); Walter does not have one recorded yet.
- Gerard and Walter both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Gerard; Walter doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Gerard
Popularity journey
First recorded1954
First recorded at #87 among boys in New Zealand in 1954 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #10 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #348 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · 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