The Bolt surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 7,504 people carried this name — #4,726 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 39,400 people counted. That is up 8% from 6,956 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Bolt surname

A surname transferred from the nickname.

As an English surname, from the noun bolt, for a maker of bolts, or a nickname for a short and heavy person.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Bolt» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘at the bold’ — the first of the origins he gives.

An early record he cites: Johan de la Bolde, Oxfordshire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers Bold, Bolde and Bolt.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 116 · public domain.

In Switzerland’s population statistics

619 people named Bolt live in Switzerland.

They live in 18 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in St. Gallen.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they live today

St. Gallen 187
Zurich 167
Aargau 64
Bern 46
Thurgau 34
Graubünden 31
Basel-Landschaft 24
Appenzell Ausserrhoden 13

Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.

In Poland’s population register

125 people named Bolt have a registered home in Poland.

Of the 174 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 7 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Kuyavian-Pomeranian.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Kuyavian-Pomeranian 43
Pomeranian 30
Greater Poland 25
West Pomeranian 11
Lesser Poland 10
Łódź 4
Opole 2

PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.

In the Nordic population registers

29 people named Bolt is counted in Sweden.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 29

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Bolt was found among the farmers of Devon: 8 in every 10,000.

Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Devon 8

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

25 families named Bolt, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 123 people lived in those households, 4.9 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 3 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

New York 9
Pennsylvania 5
Virginia 4
Connecticut 3
South Carolina 2
Massachusetts 1
Maryland 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 230 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Bolt in American newspapers,
1846–1902.

Newspaper page from The New North-west carrying the name Bolt
The New North-west 1896-04-10
Newspaper page from The New York Herald carrying the name Bolt
The New York Herald 1846-05-15
Newspaper page from The Union Times carrying the name Bolt
The Union Times 1902-09-05

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 2,163 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Bolt in Australian newspapers,
1830s–2000s.

16,840 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Bolt. The most, 3,164, date from the 1920s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Western Australia, at 1.6 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 5,973
Victoria 3,392
Western Australia 2,274
Queensland 2,273
South Australia 2,250
Tasmania 539
ACT (Canberra) 98
Northern Territory 5

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Bolt.

Who carried it

People named Bolt,
with a public archive behind them.

  • William Bolt d. 1409 · politician
  • Harald Haraldson Stangarfylja Bolt 1180–1227
  • Smid Eiriksson Bolt 1200–
  • Berdor Smidsen Bolt 1220–1285
  • Gunnar Arnbjørnsson Bolt 1230–1299
  • Borghild Haakonsdatter Bolt 1240–1300

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Bolt,
in the records of 10 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States847 records

847 records of the Bolt name in the United States
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 300
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 264
  • Other U.S. records 283
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Melvin A. Bolt

    Born 1914 in Virginia. Enlisted 1946 at Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland; pullman porter from Pulaski County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1983, buried at Bel Air Memorial Gardens, Maryland.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Harvey L. Bolt

    Born 1926 in Arkansas. Enlisted 1945 at Camp Josepth T Robinson Little Rock; farmer. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1997, buried at Wilson Cemetery, Lewisville, Arkansas.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Grady A. Bolt

    Born 1907 in Tennessee. Enlisted 1941 at Fort Wayne, Indiana; weaver from La Porte County, Indiana. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1983, buried at Chattanooga National Cemetery, Tennessee.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)

Showing 3 of 847 records for Bolt in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain).

Netherlands5,503 records

5,503 records of the Bolt name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 4,441
  • Dutch population registers 807
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 255
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Grietje Klasens Bolt

    Married in 1836 in Ezinge; maidservant, born 1806 in Ezinge. Died 1858 in Garnwerd (Ezinge), aged 52; labourer.

    Open Archives, Groninger Archieven (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Martinus Bolt

    Married in 1879 in Anloo; farmhand. Died 1939 in Stadskanaal (Onstwedde), aged 88.

    Open Archives, Drents Archief (CC BY 4.0); Open Archives, Groninger Archieven (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Jan Sijbolts Bolt

    Married in 1841 in Kloosterburen; baker, born 1819 in Hornhuizen. Died 1902 in Vlissingen, aged 82.

    Open Archives, Groninger Archieven (CC BY 4.0); Open Archives, Zeeuws Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 5,503 records for Bolt in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Australia316 records

316 records of the Bolt name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 188
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 51
  • Other Australian records 77
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record George Bolt

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Lady Castlereagh, arriving 1818; ticket of leave 1825. Native of London.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  2. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Thomas Bolt

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Princess Charlotte, sailing from Downs in 1824. Native of Birmingham, Warwickshire.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record William Bolt

    Arrived in Queensland in 1863 aboard the Golden Dream, aged 25.

    Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 316 records for Bolt in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Germany64 records

64 records of the Bolt name in Germany
  • Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919 62
  • German emigration and citizenship files 2
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Ewald Bolt

    From Ludwigslust. Reported missing in the Prussian casualty list of 23 September 1916; then reported taken prisoner in the list of 6 February 1917 (Grenadier Regiment No. 89).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record Carl Gottlieb Wilhelm Bolt

    Emigrated to North America in 1865.

    Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek / Brandenburgisches Landeshauptarchiv (CC0)

Showing 2 of 64 records for Bolt in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0) · Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0); Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0).

Canada26 records

26 records of the Bolt name in Canada
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 8
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 7
  • Other Canadian records 11
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Go Bolt

    Came to Ontario in 1868 aboard the Hibernian, landing at Quebec, bound for Hamilton, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Lillian Bolt

    Buried in 1994 at Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, Nova Scotia, aged 87.

    Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax.

Showing 2 of 26 records for Bolt in Canada.

Counts: City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

Switzerland18 records

18 records of the Bolt name in Switzerland Zürich marriage records, 16th–18th centuries
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Hans Bolt

    Married in 1619 in Wald, canton of Zürich; of Laupen.

    Staatsarchiv des Kantons Zürich, Zürcher Ehedaten (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Margaretha Bolt

    Married in 1729 in Schönenberg, canton of Zürich; of Nesslau Sg.

    Staatsarchiv des Kantons Zürich, Zürcher Ehedaten (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 2 of 18 records for Bolt in Switzerland.

Counts: Staatsarchiv des Kantons Zürich, Zürcher Ehedaten (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

United Kingdom14 records

14 records of the Bolt name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record W. N. Bolt

    Corporal, Manchester Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record W. C. Bolt

    London Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 2 of 14 records for Bolt in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Norway12 records

12 records of the Bolt name in Norway Norway's 1910 census
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Bjarne Bolt

    Census of 1910: Thaulows gate, Sandefjord; seaman, born 1891 in Sandeherred.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Martinius Bolt

    Census of 1910: Strand, Sandeherred; ship's master and farmer, born 1841 in Sandeherred.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)

Showing 2 of 12 records for Bolt in Norway.

Counts: Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

New Zealand10 records

10 records of the Bolt name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 7
  • Waimakariri District cemetery records, Canterbury 2
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Frank Fletcher Bolt

    Died 1961, aged 75; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Stephen Arthur Bolt

    Born 1961, died 2000; buried at Kaiapoi Public Cemetery, Canterbury.

    Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 2 of 10 records for Bolt in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France1 record

1 record of the Bolt name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Rudolf Bolt

    Born 1932 in Switzerland; died 1990 in Huningue (Haut-Rhin).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Bolt.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Bolt is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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