Bolt
A name with Anglo-Saxon roots meaning "arrow for a crossbow".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Bolt. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Bolt today is around 3 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Bolt births was 2023 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Bolt. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Bolt. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
2023
6 babies that year
Average age
3
years old
2023 SSA rank
#11,003
Tracked since 2023
Popularity
Bolt: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Bolt 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 Bolt during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Bolt
The name Bolt is rooted in Old English and is derived from the word "bolt," which means a short, stout arrow or a small shaft of wood or metal used in construction or as a fastener. The name Bolt can be traced back to the Anglo-Saxon period, around the 5th to 11th centuries CE, when it was likely used as a nickname or a descriptive term for someone who was sturdy, strong, or worked with bolts.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bolt can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landowners and tenants commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The book includes entries for individuals with the surname Bolt, suggesting that the name was already in use as a personal identifier during that time.
In the 13th century, a prominent figure named Bolt appears in the historical records of Durham, England. He was a monk and a writer who authored several religious works, including a treatise on the life of St. Cuthbert. Unfortunately, his exact dates of birth and death are unknown, but his works provide insight into the use of the name Bolt during the medieval period.
Another notable individual with the name Bolt was John Bolt, a 15th-century English landowner and member of the gentry. He was born around 1420 in Suffolk, England, and is mentioned in various documents related to property ownership and legal proceedings of that era.
During the Renaissance, the name Bolt gained prominence through the work of Robert Bolt, an English playwright and screenwriter. He was born in 1924 and is best known for his plays "A Man for All Seasons" and "Vivat! Vivat Regina!," both of which explored historical figures and events. Bolt's works brought renewed attention to the name and its historical significance.
In more recent times, one of the most famous individuals with the name Bolt is Usain Bolt, the Jamaican sprinter and Olympic champion. Born in 1986, Bolt is widely regarded as one of the greatest athletes of all time, having won eight Olympic gold medals and holding world records in the 100m and 200m sprints.
While the name Bolt may not have the same cultural or religious significance as some other names, its historical roots and association with strength, resilience, and notable figures throughout history have contributed to its enduring legacy and appeal.
People
Bolt + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Bolt 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
Bolt: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Bolt?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Bolt 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Bolt a common name?
We classify Bolt as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Bolt most popular?
The single biggest year for Bolt was 2023, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Bolt is about 3 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 Bolt in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Bolt a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Bolt 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 Bolt still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Bolt 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 Bolt 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 people have the name Bolt?
If you just want to know how many people have the name Bolt, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.