Wolter
A Germanic surname from the old personal name Walter, often used as a patronymic meaning "son of Walter."
The #7,384 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 68,443 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Wolter is a surname taken from the medieval personal name Walter, with Wolter as a regional or older Germanic form. The first name Walter ultimately goes back to Germanic elements meaning "rule" and "army," so the name carried the sense of a powerful warrior or ruler. In many cases, the surname began as a patronymic, identifying someone as the son or descendant of a man named Wolter/Walter.
History
The name is well attested in German-speaking areas and also appears in Dutch and Frisian usage, where given names were often turned into family names. Historical onomastic works note forms such as Wolter, Woltering, and related spellings, showing how the same base name developed into different surname types. In North America, it was carried by later immigrant families and is now relatively uncommon.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In older Dutch and Frisian naming practice, a man could be identified by his father’s name plus a house or farm name, and such labels often became permanent surnames.
From the historical record
“Waldhar : Walther (Waltermann) ; Waldherr; Walthter — Welter — Wolter — Wolter — Woller — Wohler — Wöhler, Gen. Wolters — Wohlers — Wouiers (ostfries.). Patr. A. Woltering — Wollring, Patr. Zss. Wollersen.”
— Die deutschen Familiennamen