BOLTON
Bolton is an English surname of Anglo‑Saxon origin that falls within the category of locational names. It is found throughout the British Isles, particularly in England, where it is associated with several historic counties such as Cumbria, Lancashire, Northumberland, Westmorland and the West Riding of Yorkshire.
The name derives from the Old English elements bula, meaning “a bull”, and tun, meaning “a settlement” or “enclosure”. Consequently, the literal sense of the name is “the settlement or enclosure where bulls are kept”. It may also have arisen simply from the habitational name of any of the numerous places called Bolton in England, where inhabitants would have been identified as “of Bolton” to distinguish them when they moved elsewhere.
In the Domesday Book of 1086 the name appears as Bodeltun and Bodeltone in the counties cited above, showing its early use in written records. The components of the word trace back to pre‑7th‑century Old English bothl or botl, meaning a dwelling house or hall, combined with tun for enclosure or settlement. Locational surnames of this type were originally applied to the lord of the manor or to individuals who had departed their place of origin to seek work or settle in a new area.
Early documented bearers of the surname include Thomas de Bolton of Warwickshire (1262) and Robert Bolton of Lancashire (1371). These references provide concrete evidence that the name was in active use during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries.
One of the earliest known individuals bearing the name to travel to America was Thomas Bolton, who departed London on the ship Bonaventure bound for Virginia in January 1634. This voyage marks the beginning of Bolton itinerancy beyond the British Isles.
Heraldic evidence shows that no less than twenty‑five distinct coats of arms have been granted to families bearing the surname Bolton. In the 1667 heraldic grant to Bolton, who served as Lord Mayor of London, the arms feature a silver hawk on a black shield, with the crest depicting a hawk belled in silver. The first recorded spelling of the family name in surviving documents is Robert de Boulton (1191), found in the “Early Yorkshire Charters” during the reign of King Richard I (1189‑1199).
Thus, the surname Bolton exemplifies an enduring English locational name that combines linguistic elements describing cattle rearing or a dwelling, and a rich genealogical and heraldic tradition documented from the twelfth century onward.
Typical given names associated with the Bolton surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Catherine
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Helen
- Joanne
- Linda
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Bolton in...
Braille
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Morse
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There are approximately 22,111 people named Bolton in the UK. That makes it the 387th most common surname in Britain. Around 340 in a million people in Britain are named Bolton.
Surname type: Location or geographical feature
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Bolton
- John Bolton - American lawyer and diplomat
- Henry Bolton - Politician and former infantry officer and police officer
- Andy Bolton - Strength athlete
- Sharon Bolton - Author
- Steve Bolton - Musician
- Roger Bolton - Broadcaster
- Luke Bolton - Professional football player
- John Bolton - Comic book artist and illustrator
- Anthony Bolton - Investment fund manager
- Steve Bolton - Businessman and writer
- Ian Bolton - Football player
- Marc Bolton - Actor
- James Bolton - Football player
- Guy Bolton - -American dramatist and playwright (1884 to 1979)
- Ivor Bolton - Musician
- Roger Bolton - Trade unionist (1947 to 2006)
- Nigel Bolton - Football player
- Dave Bolton - Rugby league football player and coach
- Betty Bolton - Actress (1906 to 2005)
- John Gatenby Bolton - -Australian astronomer (1922 to 1993)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.