Walker (surname)
| Pronunciation | /ˈwɔːkər/ |
|---|---|
| Language(s) | Middle English, Scots, German, Kalenjin |
| Origin | |
| Meaning | A walker, or one who "walked" on raw, damp cloth in order to thicken it.; "Hunter" in Kalenjin languages |
| Region of origin | England, Scotland, Germany, Netherlands, Kenya |
| Other names | |
| Related names | Welker, Wallker, Walkyr, Walkere, Wealcan (Old English), Walcere (Middle English) |
Walker is an patronymic surname meaning either a fuller, derived from the Middle English walkcere, meaning "a fuller of cloth," or an officer whose duty consisted of walking or inspecting a certain space of forest ground. The origin may be Dutch or German as Walker is the modern German for 'Fuller,' with weavers fleeing religious persecution in North West Europe settling along the North Eastern English coast (cf the town of Walker near Newcastle). The name is also found within African Kenyan tribes.
With close to 100,000 bearers, Walker is the 18th most common surname in England.[1] As of the 2000 U.S. Census, 501,307 people had the surname Walker, making it the 28th most common surname in America.[2] It is the 14th most common surname in Australia, with 26,688 people as of 2007.[3]
Notable people
Arts and letters
- Alice Walker (born 1944), American author
- Derek Walker (born 1929), British architect
- Frank Buckley Walker (1889–1963), American musical talent agent and author
- Frederick Walker (painter) (1840–1875), English painter and illustrator
- James F. Walker (1913–1994), American graphic artist
- Kara Walker (born 1969), American artist
- Margaret Walker (1915–1998), American poet
- Murray Walker (born 1923), English journalist
- Obadiah Walker (1616–1699), English man of letters
- Ranginui Walker (born 1932), 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
- Gene S. Walker, Sr. (1926-2015), American rancher and businessman
- 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
Film and radio
- Anna Walker (television presenter), English television presenter
- Cas Walker (1902–1998), American grocer and radio/TV producer from Tennessee
- Ed Walker (radio personality), radio personality
- Hal Walker (1896-1972), American director
- H. M. Walker (c. 1884 – 1937), American scriptwriter
- Lesley Walker, British film editor
Musicians
- Butch Walker (born 1969), American musician
- Carlos Walker, birth name of Shawty Lo, American rap musician
- John Walker (organist), (born 1941) recording artist
- Junior Walker (1931–1995), musician
- Shirley Walker (1945–2006), American music composer
- Stewart Walker, American electronic musician
- T-Bone Walker (1910–1975), American musician
- Vincent Walker, American singer and trumpet player
Actors
- Clint Walker (born 1927), actor
- Doug Walker aka That Guy With The Glasses
- Liza Walker, English actress
- Marcy Walker (born 1961), American actress
- Nancy Walker (1922–1992), American actress
- Paul Walker (1973–2013), American actor
- Tonja Walker, soap opera actress
Dancers
- Elizabeth Walker (dancer), American ballet dancer
- Travis Walker (dancer) American contemporary ballet dancer
Military
- Arnold Walker (RAF officer), British fighter pilot
- 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
- Captain Frederic John Walker (1896–1944), British naval officer
- Lucius M. Walker (1829–1863), American soldier
- 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
- Major General Fred L. Walker, (1887-1969), American general
Politics and law
- Amasa Walker (1799–1875), American politician, U.S. Representative from Massachusetts, businessman, and economist
- Sir Alfred Cecil Walker (1924–2007), UK politician, MP from Northern Ireland
- 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) (1764–1806), U.S. Representative from Virginia
- Frank Comerford Walker (1886–1959), American political figure and Postmaster General
- Ignacio Walker (born 1956), Chilean politician
- Isaac P. Walker (1815–1872), American politician, U.S. Senator from Wisconsin
- Lo Walker (born 1933), American politician, mayor of Bossier City, Louisiana
- Mary Edwards Walker (1832–1919), American activist
- Norman R. Walker (1889-1949), American politician
- Olene S. Walker (born 1930), 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
Science
- Arthur B. C. Walker, Jr. (1936–2001), American solar physicist
- Arthur Geoffrey Walker (1909–2001), English cosmologist
- Cyril Walker (paleontologist) (1939–2009)
- 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
- Sears Cook Walker (1805–1853), American astronomer
Sports
- Alf Walker, English football manager
- Allan Walker (born 1986), Scottish footballer
- Antoine Walker (born 1976), American basketball player
- Arnold Walker ('Boxer' Walker), former international rugby league player
- Ben Walker, Australian rugby league player
- Casey Walker (born 1989), American football player
- Clifford Walker (cricketer)
- Cyril Walker (1892–1948), English golfer
- 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 (canoeing) (1952–1997), New Zealand canoeist
- Geoff Walker (ice hockey) (born 1987), Canadian ice hockey player
- 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 (sailor) (born 1970), English sailboat racer
- Jason Walker (footballer) (born 1984), English 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
- Max Walker, Australian cricketer
- Mickey Walker (boxer) (1903–1981), American boxer
- Mysterious Walker (1884–1958), American athlete and coach
- Nathan Walker (born 1994), Australian ice hockey player
- Neil Walker (swimmer) (born 1976), American swimmer
- Neil Walker (baseball) (born 1985), American baseball player
- Peahead Walker (1899–1970), American football and baseball coach
- Rachel Walker (field hockey), English field hockey player
- Randy Walker (football coach) (1954–2006), American football coach
- Reggie Walker (1889–1951), South African track and field athlete
- Russ Walker (rugby league), Rugby league player
- Russ Walker (ice hockey) (born 1953), ice hockey player
- Sam Walker (footballer), association footballer, currently playing for Chelsea F.C.
- Terry Walker (footballer) (born 1921), English professional footballer
- 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
- Diana Barnato Walker (1918–2008), English pilot
- 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 (born 1923), American cartoonist
- Sally Walker, Australian academic administrator
- Vaughn Walker (born 1944), American federal judge
- Williston Walker, American Church historian
- Murder of Ant Walker
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)
- Kevin Walker (disambiguation)
- Lynne Walker (disambiguation)
- Michael Walker (disambiguation)
- Nicholas Walker (disambiguation)
- Peter Walker (disambiguation)
- Robert Walker (disambiguation)
- Rodney Walker (disambiguation)
- Sarah Walker (disambiguation)
- Scott Walker (disambiguation)
- Shane Walker (disambiguation)
- Thomas Walker (disambiguation)
- Timothy Walker (disambiguation)
- Tyler Walker (disambiguation)
- William Walker (disambiguation)
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
- A "walker", the general term used to describe zombies in the television and comic franchise, The Walking Dead.
- Annie Walker, main character of the USA TV series Covert Affairs
- Annie Walker, landlady of Rovers Return in Coronation Street
- Walker (Danny Phantom), a character of the animated TV series Danny Phantom
- Allen Walker, the main character of D.Gray-man
- Jed Walker, comic book character
- John, Susan, Titty, Roger and Bridget Walker, the Swallows of Swallows and Amazons
- Molly Walker, character from the TV series Heroes
- Renee Walker, character from TV series 24
- Tommy Walker, title character of Tommy by The Who
- Sarah Walker (Chuck), a character on the television show Chuck, played by Australian actress Yvonne Strahovski
- The Walker family of Brothers & Sisters (2006 TV series)
- Walker Boh, character from the Shannara series
- Walker, one of the two main villains in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III
- Cordell Walker, title character from the TV series Walker, Texas Ranger
- Mr. Walker, a character played by Goofy of the Goofy short Motor Mania
- Gerald Walker, half-brother of Usui Takumi in the Japanese manga series Kaichou wa Maid-sama!
- 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"
- Johans Walker, German alien and flying saucer researcher
See also
References
- ^ "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.
This page lists people with the surname Walker.
If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding the person's given name(s) to the link.
If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding the person's given name(s) to the link.