BOULTER
Boulter is an English surname, the etymology of which reflects both occupational activity and geographical influences within the British Isles. Historically, the name has been associated with the manufacture or sale of bolts, metal fasteners used to secure doors and gates.
In the Middle English period, the word bolt described a bar or rod. A boulter was therefore an artisan engaged in the making or dealing of such fasteners. Over time, the occupational appellation passed to subsequent generations as a hereditary surname, becoming firmly established in English records by the twelfth century.
The surname has appeared in numerous orthographic variants, including Bold, Bolder, Bolt, Bolter, Boulter, Bulter and Boulder. Some scholars recognise alternative origins. The name may be toponymic, pertaining to a dweller at a boll or small farm, derived from the pre‑seventeenth‑century Old-Danish element bol found in areas of strong Scandinavian influence, particularly the north‑west of England. It may also have a culinary association, derived from Old-French boulter, meaning a cook or chef, as indicated by the reference to six bulters in the household of King Henry V. Finally, a nickname derivation from Old-Norse Boltr, describing a short, powerfully built person, has also been suggested.
Documentary evidence for the name dates back to the sixteenth century, although it appears earlier. The earliest surviving instance is that of Godinc Bolt, recorded in 1086 in the Inquisitio Commitatus Cantabrigiensis during the reign of King William I. Subsequent entries include Walter Bolt in the Curia Rolls of Surrey in 1202; John Boltor in the Somerset rolls “Kirby’s Quest” of 1272; Ricardus Bultere in the Yorkshire poll tax rolls of 1379; and Dorothy Bowlter or Boulter at St James church in Clerkenwell, London, in 1573.
The surname remains predominantly found in England and, by extension, in Ireland, reflecting its medieval origins within the British Isles. Individuals bearing the name were, in historical context, typically Christian and engaged in trades associated with the making of fasteners, cooking, or the management of small farms.
Typical given names associated with the Boulter surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- Graham
- James
- John
- Michael
- Paul
- Richard
- Robert
- Simon
- Stephen
Female
- Claire
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Helen
- Jacqueline
- Janet
- Kathryn
- Louise
- Margaret
- 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 Boulter in...
Braille
⠃⠕⠥⠇⠞⠑⠗
Morse
-...---..-.-..-..-.
Semaphore
There are approximately 2,657 people named Boulter in the UK. That makes it roughly the 3,358th most common surname in Britain. Around 41 in a million people in Britain are named Boulter.
Surname type: Occupational name
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Boulter
- Katie Boulter - Tennis player
- Ana Boulter - TV Presenter
- Russell Boulter - Actor
- Roy Boulter - Drummer
- Rosalyn Boulter - Actress (1917 to 1997)
- John Boulter -
- Les Boulter - Welsh football player (1913 to 1974)
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.