Bolton
A masculine given name of English origin meaning "settlement belonging to Beau".
Name Census estimates that about 219 living Americans carry the first name Bolton. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Bolton today is around 16 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Bolton births was 2017 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Bolton. 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.
People living today
219
~ 1 in 1,565,088 Americans
Peak year
2017
15 babies that year
Average age
16
years old
2024 SSA rank
#8,374
Tracked since 1905
Popularity
Bolton: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Bolton from the 1900s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 93 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Bolton remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Bolton 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 Bolton during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Bolton
The name Bolton originates from an Old English surname derived from the place name Bolton, which means "dwelling place" or "house by the heaps of hills." The earliest recorded use of the name dates back to the 12th century in Lancashire, England.
Bolton was initially a locational surname given to individuals who lived in or near the town of Bolton. As surnames became more common, some families adopted the place name as a given name, leading to its widespread use as a first name.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Bolton was Bolton le Scriptor, a 13th-century scribe and copyist from Yorkshire, England. He is known for his work in transcribing and preserving medieval manuscripts.
In the 16th century, Bolton Priory in Yorkshire was a prominent monastic house, and several individuals associated with the priory bore the name Bolton. One notable figure was Bolton Bannister, a monk and scholar who lived from 1515 to 1587.
During the English Civil War in the 17th century, Bolton Wandesford (1592-1667) was a prominent Royalist commander who fought for King Charles I. He was known for his bravery and loyalty to the Crown.
In the literary world, Bolton Cormier (1734-1799) was a French poet and playwright who gained recognition for his works that explored themes of love, nature, and human emotions.
Another notable figure was Bolton Smithers (1825-1901), an English engineer and inventor who contributed significantly to the development of early steam engines and locomotives.
As the name spread beyond its geographical origins, it gained popularity in various parts of the world. For example, Bolton Salmond (1868-1944) was a New Zealand politician and lawyer who served as the 19th Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1923 to 1924.
Throughout history, the name Bolton has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds, reflecting its enduring appeal and versatility across cultures and eras.
People
Bolton + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Bolton 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
Bolton: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Bolton?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 219 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Bolton 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 1,565,088 US residents.
Is Bolton a common name?
We classify Bolton as "Very Rare". It ranks above 75.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 233 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Bolton most popular?
The single biggest year for Bolton was 2017, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Bolton is about 16 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Bolton a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Bolton 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.
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.