2000
#116,835
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 138
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Abolt
A German occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of crossbows or catapults.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Abolt. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Abolt surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Abolt in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Abolt, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Abolt
The surname ABOLT is of English origin, first appearing in records during the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "abolt" or "abolte", meaning a bolt or arrow used in archery or warfare. This suggests the name may have initially been an occupational surname for an archer, crossbowman, or soldier skilled with these weapons.
One of the earliest known references to the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, which mentions an individual named Robert Abolt. Another early record is the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire from 1293, listing a Richard Abolt as a landowner in the region.
By the 14th century, variations in spelling began to emerge, such as Abolte, Aboult, and Abulte. These were likely due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in written records during that time period. The name was also sometimes associated with place names, such as Aboltsbury in Dorset, which may have influenced its spelling and pronunciation.
Notable individuals with the surname ABOLT throughout history include:
1. Sir John Abolt (c. 1320-1387), an English knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War and was awarded lands in Wiltshire for his service.
2. Elizabeth Abolt (c. 1450-1522), a wealthy landowner from Suffolk whose estate was at the center of a legal dispute involving the Crown in the early 16th century.
3. Thomas Abolt (1567-1633), an English clergyman and author of several religious texts, including "The Pathway to Piety" published in 1620.
4. William Abolt (1633-1701), a prominent merchant and ship owner from Bristol, known for his successful trading ventures in the West Indies.
5. Mary Abolt (1784-1862), a British artist renowned for her landscape paintings, many of which portrayed scenes from the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales.
While the surname ABOLT is not among the most common in England today, its long history and varied spellings showcase its enduring presence throughout the centuries, often associated with occupations, landholdings, and notable individuals across different regions of the country.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Abolt
Among Census respondents with the surname Abolt, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Abolt bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Abolt surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.3% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Abolt
Abolt appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#130,610
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
-8 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,775 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-21 bearers (-16.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,595 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #116,835 | 138 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #130,610 | 130 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 13,775 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -21 bearers (-16.2%) | Down 19,595 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Abolt surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #130,610 | #150,205 | -15.0% |
| Count | 130 | 109 | -16.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Abolt bearers went from 130 to 109 (-16.2% change). The surname moved down 19,595 positions in the national ranking, going from #130,610 to #150,205.
FAQ
Abolt surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Abolt?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Abolt. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Abolt?
Abolt ranks #150,205 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 109 people with the surname Abolt. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Abolt.
Has Abolt become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Abolt went from 130 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 21 (-16.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #130,610 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Abolt?
Among Census respondents with the surname Abolt, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Abolt in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.3% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Abolt appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.3%), Hispanic (1.8%), Two or More Races (1.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Abolt (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Abolt mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of crossbows or catapults. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Abolt (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Abolt?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.