Max vs Walter
Max 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.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Max was ranked #29 and Walter #478 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Max was ranked #41 and Walter #829 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Max was ranked #44 and Walter #344 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Max was ranked #72 and Walter #108 among boys in Norway.
Max and Walter over time
Max and Walter appear together in 3 published lists, across 95 years of shared records. Max held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Walter in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Max reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Walter in 1. 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
Max and Walter were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 36 years, from 1946 to 2025, ending at #72 and #108.
List by list
Norway · Boys36 shared years, 1946–2025
Max held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Walter in 11.
Highest recorded here: Max #60 in 2012, Walter #108 in 2025.
The order changed in 1973: Max moved ahead. In 1972 they stood at #365 and #350; by 1973 that had become #448 and #530.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Max #72, Walter #108.
Republic of Ireland · Boys30 shared years, 1973–2025
Max held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Walter in 6.
Highest recorded here: Max #27 in 2022, Walter #163 in 1973.
The order changed in 1993: Max moved ahead. In 1992 they stood at #205 and #205; by 1993 that had become #223 and #275.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Max #41, Walter #829.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Max held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Walter in 0.
Highest recorded here: Max #18 in 2012, Walter #271 in 2019.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Max #44, 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 | Max | Walter |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | A short form of Maximilian or Maxim, ultimately from Latin 'maximus' (greatest). | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Latin, via Maximilian/Maxim | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈmæks/ | |
| 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 #30 (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
- Max has a recorded origin (Latin, via Maximilian/Maxim); Walter does not have one recorded yet.
- Max has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Walter.
- A meaning is recorded for Max; 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
Max
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #359 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1992–2023
Highest recorded position: #10 among boys in New Zealand, in 2016 (recorded 1992–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #30 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