Bolling
A masculine given name derived from the Old English word "boll" meaning "ball, round".
Name Census estimates that about 3 living Americans carry the first name Bolling. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Bolling today is around 85 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Bolling births was 1950 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Bolling. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Bolling is about 85 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Bollings were born before 1951.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Bolling. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
3
~ 1 in 114,251,446 Americans
Peak year
1950
5 babies that year
Average age
85
years old
1950 SSA rank
#3,746
Tracked since 1950
Popularity
Bolling: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Bolling by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Bolling during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Bolling
The name Bolling is believed to have originated from the Old English word "bollung," which means "a dwelling or homestead." It is thought to have been derived from the Old English word "boll," meaning "a rounded hill or mound." The name was commonly used in England during the Anglo-Saxon period, particularly in regions where Old English was spoken.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bolling can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landowners and their holdings in England, compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book mentions several individuals with the name Bolling, indicating that it was already in use by the 11th century.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Bolling. One of the earliest was Robert Bolling (c. 1646-1709), an English colonist who settled in Virginia in the late 17th century. He became a prominent figure in the colony and served as a member of the House of Burgesses.
Another historically significant figure was John Bolling (1737-1800), an American statesman and patriot who served as a delegate to the Virginia Convention and played a role in the American Revolutionary War. He was also a close friend and neighbor of Thomas Jefferson.
In the realm of literature, Bolling Hall in Yorkshire, England, was the birthplace of the renowned English novelist Anne Brontë (1820-1849). Although she did not bear the name Bolling herself, the historic hall and its name are closely associated with her literary legacy.
Moving into the 20th century, Rayford Bolling (1918-2003) was an American physicist and engineer who made significant contributions to the development of radar technology during World War II. He later worked for NASA and played a crucial role in the Apollo space program.
Finally, it is worth mentioning Landrum Bolling (1913-2005), an American politician and jurist who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives and later as a judge on the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.
People
Bolling + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Bolling as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with B
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Bolling: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Bolling?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 3 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Bolling going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 114,251,446 US residents.
Is Bolling a common name?
We classify Bolling as "Very Rare". It ranks above 4.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Bolling most popular?
The single biggest year for Bolling was 1950, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Bolling is about 85 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Bolling in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Bolling a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Bolling in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Bolling still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Bolling in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Bolling can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Bolling?
Want to know how many Americans are named Bolling? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.