Walker (surname)
Walker is an English and German surname derived from either a fuller, from the Middle High German walker,[2] meaning "a fuller of cloth", or an officer whose duty consisted of walking or inspecting a certain part of a forest. The surname "Walker" was first found in Germany where records of the name date back to the thirteenth century. In 1253, Sigelo dictus Welkere was recorded in Weissenburg,[2] and in 1209, Bruno Welkiner was a citizen of Cologne.[2] The Walker Families of England are believed to originate from Yorkshire.[3]
Pronunciation | /ˈwɔːkər/ |
---|---|
Language(s) | English, Scots,[1] Middle High German, German |
Origin | |
Meaning | A walker, or one who "walked" on raw, damp cloth in order to thicken it. |
Region of origin | Europe |
Other names | |
Variant form(s) | Welker, Walcher, Welcker, Wallker, Walkyr, Walkere, Wealcan, Walcere |
With close to 100,000 bearers, Walker is the 18th most common surname in England.[4] As of the 2000 U.S. Census, 501,307 people had the surname Walker, making it the 28th most common surname in America.[5] It is the 14th most common surname in Australia, with 26,688 people as of 2007.[6]
People with the surname
Arts and letters
- Ada Hill Walker (1879-1955), scientific illustrator
- Alice Walker (born 1944), American author
- Derek Walker (1929–2015), British architect
- Frank Buckley Walker (1889–1963), American musical talent agent and author
- Frank X Walker (born 1961), American poet
- Frederick Walker (painter) (1840–1875), English painter and illustrator
- James F. Walker (1913–1994), American graphic artist
- John Edward Walker (1880–1940), Wales-born American painter known for California Impressionism
- Kara Walker (born 1969), American artist
- Laura S. Walker (1861-1955), American writer
- Margaret Walker (1915–1998), American poet
- Murray Walker (born 1923), English journalist
- Obadiah Walker (1616–1699), English man of letters
- Ranginui Walker (1932–2016), Māori academic and writer
- Ray Walker (artist) (1945–1984), British mural artist
- Ryan Walker (cartoonist) (1870–1932), American political cartoonist
- William Henry Romaine-Walker (1854–1940), English architect and interior decorator
Business
- Aldace F. Walker (1842–1901), American railroad executive
- Darren Walker, African-American lawyer and banker
- Joseph Edison Walker (1879–1958), American insurance executive and banker
- Madam C. J. Walker, African-American entrepreneur
- Norman W. Walker (1886–1985), English-American pioneer in vegetable juicing
- Thomas B. Walker, Jr. (1923–2016), American investment banker
Film and radio
- Anna Walker (television presenter) (born 1962), English television presenter
- Cas Walker (1902–1998), American grocer and radio/TV producer from Tennessee
- Ed Walker (radio personality) (1932–2015), radio personality
- Hal Walker (1896–1972), American director
- H. M. Walker (c. 1884 – 1937), American scriptwriter
- Lesley Walker, British film editor
- Walter Walker (1864–1947), American actor of the stage and screen
Musicians and singers
- Alan Walker (music producer), Norwegian DJ and music producer
- Billy Walker (musician) (1929–2006), American country music singer
- Butch Walker (born 1969), American musician
- Carlos Walker (1976–2016), birth name of Shawty Lo, American rap musician
- Charlie Walker (musician) (1926–2008), American country music singer-songwriter
- Cindy Walker (1918–2006), American songwriter, country singer
- Clay Walker, American country music singer-songwriter
- Ernest Walker (composer) (1870–1949), British composer
- Jerry Jeff Walker (1942–2020), American country music singer and songwriter
- John Walker (organist), (born 1941) recording artist
- Junior Walker (1931–1995), American multi-instrumentalist
- Ryley Walker (born 1989), American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- Shirley Walker (1945–2006), American music composer
- Stan Walker (born 1990), Australian-New Zealand recording artist, actor, and television personality
- Stewart Walker, American electronic musician
- T-Bone Walker (1910–1975), American musician
- Vincent Walker, American singer and trumpet player
Actors
- Aidee Walker, New Zealand film and television actress and television director
- Chris Walker (born 1964}, English actor
- Clint Walker (1927–2018), American actor
- Doug Walker (actor) (born 1981), American actor and internet personality
- Jimmie Walker (born 1947) American actor and comedian, best known as "J.J." in the sitcom "Good Times" and his signature catchphrase "Dy-no-mite!"
- Jonathan Walker (born 1976), British actor
- Liza Walker (born 1972), English actress
- Marcy Walker (born 1961), American actress
- Matthew Walker (American actor) (born 1968), American actor
- Matthew Walker (Australian actor) (born 1979), New Zealand-Australian actor
- Matthew Walker (Canadian actor) (born 1942), English film and television actor in Canada
- Nancy Walker (1922–1992), American actress
- Paul Walker (1973–2013), American actor
- Tippy Walker (born 1947, Elizabeth Tipton Walker), American actress "The World of Henry Orient"
- Tonja Walker (born 1960), American soap opera actress
- Virginia Walker (1916–1946), American film actress
Dancers
- Elizabeth Walker (dancer), American ballet dancer
- Travis Walker (dancer) American contemporary ballet dancer
Military
- Arnold Walker (RAF officer), British fighter pilot
- Diana Barnato Walker (1918–2008), British support pilot of World War II
- Duncan Stephen Walker, American Union brevet brigadier general
- Edward Alexander Walker, American Medal of Honor recipient
- Major General Edwin Walker, American general
- Lieutenant General Emmett H. Walker, Jr., American National Guard chief
- Frank O. Walker, Philippine–American War Medal of Honor recipient
- Major General Fred L. Walker, (1887–1969), American general
- Captain Frederic John Walker (1896–1944), British naval officer
- Surgeon-General James Pattison Walker (1823-1906), British Indian army surgeon
- John Anthony Walker (1937-2014), US Navy communications specialist convicted in 1985 of spying for the Soviet Union
- Lucius M. Walker (1829–1863), American soldier
- Meriwether Lewis Walker, (1869-1947) American brigadier general
- Moses B. Walker, American Union brevet brigadier general and Texas judge
- Samuel Hamilton Walker (1817–1847), American soldier and lawman
- General Walton Walker (1889–1950), American general
Politics and law
- Amasa Walker (1799–1875), American politician, U.S. Representative from Massachusetts, businessman, and economist
- Amelia Himes Walker (1880 - 1974), American suffragist
- Sir Alfred Cecil Walker (1924–2007), UK politician, MP from Northern Ireland
- Bret William Walker (born 1954), Australian barrister
- Clifford Walker (1877–1954), American politician, governor of Georgia
- Dan Walker (1922–2015), American politician, governor of Illinois
- David S. Walker, 8th governor of Florida
- Francis Walker (Virginia politician) (1764–1806), U.S. Representative from Virginia
- Frank Comerford Walker (1886–1959), American political figure and Postmaster General
- Jimmy Walker, aka "Beau James"(1881-1946), American. politician, Mayor of New York City (1926-1932), member New York State Senate (1915-1925), member New York State Assembly (1910-1914)
- Ignacio Walker (born 1956), Chilean politician
- Isaac P. Walker (1815–1872), American politician, U.S. Senator from Wisconsin
- Lyman Walker (1799–1886), American politician
- Mary Edwards Walker (1832–1919), American activist
- Norman R. Walker (1889–1949), American politician
- Olene S. Walker (1930–2015), American politician, governor of Utah
- Patricio Walker (born 1969), Chilean politician
- Patrick Gordon Walker (1907–1980), British politician
- Pinkney H. Walker (1815–1885), American jurist
- R. Tracy Walker, American politician from North Carolina
- Rebecca Walker (born 1969), American activist
- Scott Walker (born 1967) American politician, governor of Wisconsin
- William H. Walker (New York City) (1842-1916) American politician, member New York Board of Aldermen (1887-1890), member New York State Assembly (1892 & 1893), father of Jimmy Walker, American politician
Science
- Arthur B. C. Walker, Jr. (1936–2001), American solar physicist
- Arthur Geoffrey Walker (1909–2001), English cosmologist
- Bryant Walker (1856–1936), American malacologist
- Cyril Walker (paleontologist) (1939–2009)
- Edward Walker (mathematician) (1820–1893), English applied mathematician
- Edwin Francis Walker (1872–1956), US archaeologist, and author
- Francis Walker (entomologist) (1809–1874), English entomologist
- Gilbert Walker (1868–1958), English meteorologist
- Jearl Walker (born 1945), American physicist
- Mary Broadfoot Walker (1888–1974), Scottish doctor
- Matthew Walker Sr. (1906–1978), African-American physician and surgeon
- Matthew Walker (scientist) (born c. 1972), professor of neuroscience and psychology
- Roger G. Walker (1939–), Canadian geologist
- Sears Cook Walker (1805–1853), American astronomer
Sports
- Albert Walker (footballer) (1910–1993), English footballer
- Alf Walker, English football manager
- Allan Walker (born 1986), Scottish footballer
- Anthony Walker Jr. (born 1995), American football player
- Antoine Walker (born 1976), American basketball player
- Arnold Walker ('Boxer' Walker), English rugby league footballer
- Ben Walker, Australian rugby league player
- Casey Walker (born 1989), American football player
- Clifford Walker (cricketer)
- Cyril Walker (1892–1948), English golfer
- D'Andre Walker (born 1997), American football player
- DeMarcus Walker (born 1994), American football player
- Derek Walker (footballer) (born 1965), Scottish footballer
- Derrick Walker, auto racer
- Derrick Walker (American football), American football player
- Des Walker, English footballer
- Doak Walker (1927–1998), American football player
- Ed Walker (baseball), baseball player
- Fraser Walker (born 1972), Scottish medley swimmer
- Geoff Walker (canoeist) (1952–1997), New Zealand canoeist
- Geoff Walker (ice hockey) (born 1987), Canadian ice hockey player
- Georgia Walker (born 1998), Australian rules footballer
- Glen Walker (born 1952), American football player
- Harold Walker (cricketer) (1918–2000), English cricketer
- Harry Walker (1916–1999), American baseball player, manager, and coach
- Herschel Walker (born 1962), American football player
- Ian Walker (footballer) (born 1971), English footballer
- Ian Walker (sailor) (born 1970), English sailboat racer
- Jason Walker (footballer) (born 1984), English footballer
- Jeremy Walker (born 1995), American baseball player
- Josh Walker (American football) (born 1991), American football player
- Josh Walker (Australian footballer) (born 1992), Australian rules footballer
- Karen Walker (footballer) (born 1969), English association footballer
- Kemba Walker (born 1990), American professional basketball player
- Kyle Walker (born 1990), English footballer
- Larry Walker (born 1966), Canadian baseball player
- Laura Walker (born 1970), American swimmer
- Matthew Walker (English cricketer) (born 1974), English cricketer
- Matthew Walker (New Zealand cricketer) (born 1977), cricketer from New Zealand
- Matthew Walker (swimmer) (born 1978), English swimmer
- Max Walker, Australian cricketer
- Mickey Walker (boxer) (1903–1981), American boxer
- Mykal Walker (born 1997), American football player
- Mysterious Walker (1884–1958), American athlete and coach
- Nathan Walker (born 1994), Australian ice hockey player
- Neil Walker (baseball) (born 1985), American baseball player
- Neil Walker (swimmer) (born 1976), American swimmer
- Peahead Walker (1899–1970), American football and baseball coach
- P. J. Walker (born 1995), American football quarterback
- Rachel Walker (field hockey), English field hockey player
- Randy Walker (football coach) (1954–2006), American football coach
- Ricky Walker (born 1996), American football player
- Russ Walker (ice hockey) (born 1953), ice hockey player
- Russ Walker (rugby league), Rugby league player
- Sam Walker (footballer), association footballer, currently playing for Chelsea F.C.
- Shelby Walker (1975-2006), American professional boxer and mixed martial artist
- Taijuan Walker (born 1992) American baseball player
- Terry Walker (footballer) (1921–1987), English professional footballer
- Tracy Walker (American football) (born 1995), American football player
- Wade Walker, American football player
- Walker (Kent cricketer), English cricketer playing in 1822
Miscellaneous
- Anna Walker (civil servant) (born 1951), British civil servant
- Darren Walker, President of Ford Foundation
- Eric A. Walker (engineer) (1910–1995), American academic administrator
- Francis Amasa Walker (1840–1897), American economist
- Marietta Walker (1834–1930), American founder of Graceland University
- Mort Walker (1923–2018), American cartoonist
- Sally Walker, Australian academic administrator
- Vaughn Walker (born 1944), American federal judge
- Williston Walker (1860–1922), American church historian
- Murder of Anthony Walker, 2005 event in Huyton, England
Disambiguations
- Adam Walker (disambiguation)
- Alan Walker (disambiguation)
- Andrew Walker (disambiguation)
- Andy Walker (disambiguation)
- Bruce Walker (disambiguation)
- Charles Walker (disambiguation)
- Chris Walker (disambiguation)
- David Walker (disambiguation)
- Felix Walker (disambiguation)
- George Walker (disambiguation)
- James Walker (disambiguation)
- John Walker (disambiguation)
- Jonathan Walker (disambiguation)
- Joseph Walker (disambiguation)
- Keith Walker (disambiguation)
- Kevin Walker (disambiguation)
- Lynne Walker (disambiguation)
- Michael Walker (disambiguation)
- Nick Walker (disambiguation)
- Peter Walker (disambiguation)
- Reggie Walker (disambiguation)
- Richard Walker (disambiguation)
- Robert Walker (disambiguation)
- Rodney Walker (disambiguation)
- Sarah Walker (disambiguation)
- Scott Walker (disambiguation)
- Shane Walker (disambiguation)
- Shaun Walker (disambiguation)
- Thomas Walker (disambiguation)
- Timothy Walker (disambiguation)
- Tyler Walker (disambiguation)
- William Walker (disambiguation)
People with the given name
Notable persons with "Walker" as their given name.
- Walker Butler, American jurist and politician
- Walker Connor, American political scientist
- Walker M. Curtiss, American politician
- Walker Evans, American photographer
- Walker Percy, American author
- George Herbert Walker Bush, US President (1989–1993)
- George Walker Bush, US President (2001–2009)
Fictional characters
- Abigail "Fetch" Walker, a fictional character in the video game series Infamous
- Allen Walker, the main character of D.Gray-man
- Annie Walker (Coronation Street), a character from the British television series Coronation Street
- Annie Walker, a main character from the American television series Covert Affairs
- Barry Walker, a character in the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why
- Billy Walker (Coronation Street), a character from the British television series Coronation Street
- Bryce Walker, a character in the novel and Netflix series 13 Reasons Why
- Chris Walker, antagonist of the horror game Outlast
- Cordell Walker, title character from the TV series Walker, Texas Ranger
- Gerald Walker, half-brother of Usui Takumi in the Japanese manga series Kaichou wa Maid-sama!
- Jack Walker (Coronation Street), a character and original landlord of the Rovers Return in Coronation Street
- John, Susan, Titty, Roger and Bridget Walker, the Swallows of Swallows and Amazons
- Mary Walker, the alter-ego of the comic book character Typhoid Mary (comics)
- Molly Walker, character from the TV series Heroes
- Nora Walker, a character in the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why
- Patsy Walker, comic book character
- Renee Walker, character from TV series 24
- Rinslet Walker, one of the main characters in the Black Cat manga series
- Sarah Walker (Chuck), a character in the television show Chuck
- Tommy Walker, title character of Tommy by The Who
- The Walker family of Brothers & Sisters (2006 TV series)
- Walker, one of the two main villains in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III
- Walker Boh, character from the Shannara series
- Walker (Danny Phantom), a character in animated TV series Danny Phantom
- Mr. Walker, a character played by Goofy in the Goofy short Motor Mania
- Mr. Walker, an alias of The Phantom for the times when the Phantom leaves his jungle home and travels as an ordinary man
Other
- Colorow Ignacio Ouray Walkara, Ute chief, also called "Walker"
References
- "Walker Name Meaning & Walker Family History". Ancestry.com. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
- "HouseofNames". Retrieved 2017-07-15.
- "Walker Name Meaning & Walker Family History". Ancestry.com. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
- "Forebears". Retrieved 7 January 2015.
- "Genealogy Data: Frequently Occurring Surnames from Census 2000 – U.S. Census Bureau". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
- IP Australia. "Search for Australian Surnames". Government of Australia. Retrieved 2007-05-14.