Leo vs Walter
Leo 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Leo was ranked #5 and Walter #344 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Leo was ranked #5 and Walter #478 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Leo was ranked #10 and Walter #829 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Leo was ranked #28 and Walter #108 among boys in Norway.
Leo and Walter over time
Leo and Walter appear together in 3 published lists, across 109 years of shared records. Leo 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.
Walter reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Leo 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
Leo and Walter were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 51 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #10 and #829.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Norway · Boys within 2 years — Leo #28 in 2025, Walter #108 in 2025.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1964 they stood at #101 and #111 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, 10 places apart; by 2025 they were #10 and #829.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys51 shared years, 1964–2025
Leo held the stronger position in 50 of those years, Walter in 1.
Highest recorded here: Leo #10 in 2025, Walter #105 in 1968.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Leo #10, Walter #829.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Leo held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Walter in 0.
Highest recorded here: Leo #5 in 2022, Walter #271 in 2019.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Leo #5, Walter #344.
Norway · Boys29 shared years, 1947–2025
Leo held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Walter in 9.
Highest recorded here: Leo #28 in 2025, Walter #108 in 2025.
The order changed in 1987: Leo moved ahead. In 1986 they stood at #628 and #568; by 1987 that had become #498 and #605.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Leo #28, 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 | Leo | Walter |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Lion. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Latin | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈliːoʊ/ | |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #5 (2025) | Norway · Boys #108 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Leo has a recorded origin (Latin); Walter does not have one recorded yet.
- Leo has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Walter.
- A meaning is recorded for Leo; Walter doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Leo
Popularity journey
First recorded1947
First recorded at #303 among boys in Norway in 1947 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded2009–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2022 (recorded 2009–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #5 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · 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