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Bolt Family History

Bolt Name Meaning

English: from Middle English bolt ‘bolt bar’ also ‘bundle’ (Old English bolt ‘arrow’). One of the most common senses of this word was ‘the blunt-headed bolt of a crossbow’ so it could have been given to an archer or to a maker of iron bars or bolts. Bolt was also used metaphorically for a short thickset or tubby person and for someone who was physically upright as a bolt i.e. ‘as straight as an arrow’. English: variant of Bold Dutch North German and Danish: from the ancient Germanic personal name Baldo a short form of various compound names with the first element bald ‘bold’. See also German Bold compare German and Danish Boldt . North German: nickname from Middle Low German bolt ‘quick defiant daring’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Bold, Polt, Boltz, Bolte, Boat, Belt, Bott, Boot, Colt, Boldt

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Bolt family from?

You can see how Bolt families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Bolt family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Bolt families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1840 there were 17 Bolt families living in New York. This was about 28% of all the recorded Bolt's in USA. New York had the highest population of Bolt families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Bolt surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Bolt ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Bolt. 19% of Bolt men worked as a Farmer and 10% of Bolt women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Bolt were Truck Driver and Housework. .

View Census Data for Bolt | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    19%
  • Laborer
    15%
  • Carpenter
    5%
  • Truck Driver
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    10%
  • Housekeeper
    8%
  • Teacher
    8%
  • Housework
    7%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Bolt family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 73,000 census records available for the last name Bolt. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Bolt census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Bolt

Passenger Lists

There are 6,000 immigration records available for the last name Bolt. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 12,000 military records available for the last name Bolt. For the veterans among your Bolt ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Bolt lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Bolt life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1950, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Bolt in 1942 was 46, and 67 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Bolt

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