Show ContentsWalther History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Walther family

The surname Walther was first found in Silesia, where the name was associated in early mediaeval times with the feudal society which would shape and define European history. The name would later emerge as a noble family with great influence, having many distinguished branches, and become noted for its involvement in social, economic and political affairs.

Early History of the Walther family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Walther research. Another 149 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1170, 1230, 1430, 1484, 1504, 1651, 1699, 1708, 1712, 1740 and 1782 are included under the topic Early Walther History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Walther Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Walter, Walters, Walther, Waltherr and others.

Early Notables of the Walther family

Notables of the period with the surname Walther were

  • Walther von der Vogelweide (1170-1230), who was a renowned mediaeval poet. Johann Christoph Walters was the mayor of the city Hirschberg in Silesia and was ennobled with the title von Ehrenwald in 170...
  • Bernhard Walther (1430-1504), a German merchant, humanist and astronomer based in Nuremberg, Germany

Walther Ranking

In the United States, the name Walther is the 5,248th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Walther is ranked the 3,781st most popular surname with an estimated 1,500 - 2,000 people with that name. 2


United States Walther migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Walther Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Wilhelm Walther, who settled in Philadelphia in 1773
  • Wilhelm Walther, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1774 3
Walther Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Wilh. Walther, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "Joh. Derhardt"
  • Mr. Wilhelm Walther, aged 50, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1847 aboard the ship "Natchez"
  • Mrs. Caroline Walther, aged 25, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1847 aboard the ship "Natchez"
  • Guenther Walther, who settled in Texas with his family in 1854

Contemporary Notables of the name Walther (post 1700) +

  • Paul G. Walther (1927-2014), American NBA basketball player, NBA All-Star (1952)
  • David "Salt" Walther (b. 1947), American former driver in the USAC and CART Championship Car series
  • Erich Walther (1903-1947), German general of the Fallschirmjäger
  • Frederic-Louis-Henri Walther (1761-1813), Alsatian-born general of division and a supporter of Napoleon
  • Johann Gottfried Walther (1684-1748), German music theorist, organist, composer, and lexicographer
  • Eugenio Elorduy Walther (1940-2023), Mexican politician
  • Frédéric Henri Walther, French Divisional General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 4
  • Carl Walther Strom (1899-1969), American politician, U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia, 1956; Bolivia, 1959-61 5
  • Werner Walther Kemper (1899-1975), German physician and psychoanalyst
  • Walther Dürr (1932-2018), German musicologist

USS Arizona
  • Mr. Edward Alfred Walther, American Fire Controlman Third Class working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 6


Suggested Readings for the name Walther +

  • Walther Family Recollections by Emma Gene Seale.

  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  3. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  4. Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815. (Retrieved 2015, November 3) Frédéric Walther. Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_frenchgenerals.html
  5. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 26) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  6. Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html


Houseofnames.com on Facebook