COLT
The Colt surname is traditionally regarded as having Anglo‑English origins. It is derived from the Old English word colt, denoting a young male horse, and the name is thought to have arisen either as a nickname for a person who displayed the swiftness, strength or vigour associated with a colt, or as a metonymic occupational designation for an individual who tended mares and asses.
Historical records first mention bearers of the name in the eleventh and twelfth centuries. The earliest documented instance, appearing in the “Old English Bynames” of 1017, is that of Godric Colt during the reign of King Canute. Subsequent entries include Anselm Colt in 1020, Henry Le Colt in the Stafford Assize Rolls of 1227, Robert Le Coltier of Oxford in 1285, Peter Colthird of York in 1301, and Anote Coltman in the Subsidy Rolls of Cumberland in 1332.
In Northern England the word colt was employed generically to refer to working horses or asses. Consequently, the surname may have been adopted by those who looked after such animals. It is also recorded that the spelling variant Coldman was used in the nineteenth century, as illustrated by the entry for Michael Coldman at the Church of St Mary Magdalene in Bermondsey in 1833.
Variations of the name include Colter, Coltman, and Coltman, as well as the later southern dialectal spelling Coldman. These variants are evidence of the surname’s evolution across regional dialects.
Some sources note a Germanic thread in the surname’s history, proposing derivation from the Old High German word *colt* meaning “long neck” or “tall”. This hypothesis suggests that the name entered England and Ireland during the Norman Conquest, when many Germanic names were adopted. The historic use of the name in Ireland is documented in the 13th‑century records and has also been linked to the locality of Colthurst in County Cork.
In contemporary times the name Colt is found throughout the United Kingdom, with a notable presence in South West England, particularly Devon and Cornwall. It is also recorded in the Irish, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand and United States populations. The surname retains a conventional spelling but has been noted to appear in various orthographic forms such as Coltman, Coltman, Colter and Coult. It continues to be borne by individuals in a wide array of professions and has occasionally been adopted as a brand name for purposes such as firearms manufacturing.
Typical given names associated with the Colt surname
Male
- Paul
Female
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 Colt in...
Braille
⠉⠕⠇⠞
Morse
-.-.---.-..-
Semaphore
There are approximately 35 people named Colt in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around one in a million people in Britain are named Colt.
Famous people named Colt
- Harry Colt - Golf course architect (1869 to 1951)
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.