The first name Waldo
A boy’s name from English meaning “power”, “thief”, “one who snatched victory from battle.”.
2 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
English origin
Waldo means “power”, “thief”, “one who snatched victory from battle.” in English.
English surname, from the obsolete English given name Waltheof, from Old English weald (“power”) + þēof (“thief”), as in "one who snatched victory from battle." Comparable to, or ultimately Anglicized from, the Old Norse equivalent Valthiófr, from vald + *ᚦᛖᚢᛒᚨᛉ (*þeubaʀ). Compare Walthall, Waldie.
More names that mean strong.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Waldo at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 6 boys born in the United States were named Waldo, the 11,906th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1915, when 174 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Nicknames and spellings
Other spellings and forms
- Waldeve
- Waldef
- Waltheof
Famous people named Waldo
13 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Ralph Waldo EmersonAmerican philosopher (1803–1882)
- Waldo PonceChilean footballer, born 1982
- Waldo FrankAmerican novelist, historian, political activist and literary critic (1889–1967)
- Waldo SaltAmerican screenwriter (1914-1987)
- Waldo L. ParraChilean lawyer and novelist, born 1965
- Waldo Rubio MartínAssociation football player, born 1995
- Waldo of ReichenauCarolingian bishop, 740–814
- Waldo R. ToblerAmerican geographer (1930–2018)
- Waldo SemonAmerican inventor (1898–1999)
- Waldo P. JohnsonAmerican politician (1817–1885)
- Waldo VieiraBrazilian author and psychical researcher, 1932–2015
- Johnny GreenAmerican conductor, arranger, composer, pianist (1908-1989)
More English boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Waldo mean?
- Waldo means “power”, “thief”, “one who snatched victory from battle.” in English.
- What is the origin of the name Waldo?
- English surname, from the obsolete English given name Waltheof, from Old English weald (“power”) + þēof (“thief”), as in "one who snatched victory from battle." Comparable to, or ultimately Anglicized from, the Old Norse equivalent Valthiófr, from vald + *ᚦᛖᚢᛒᚨᛉ (*þeubaʀ). Compare Walthall, Waldie.
- Is Waldo a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 5,722 US babies named Waldo since 1880 were boys.
- When was Waldo most popular?
- 1915 in the United States, when 174 babies were named Waldo, its highest rank at 407th.
- What are other spellings of Waldo?
- Waldeve, Waldef and Waltheof.
- Is Waldo also a surname?
- Yes. Waldo is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.