Find out how popular the last name Ault is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Ault.

Ault, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Ault surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ault in America

Ault is the 4723rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ault surname appeared 7,509 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Ault.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ault to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Ault

The surname Ault is of Anglo-Norman origin, deriving from the Old French word "aval" which means "downstream" or "below". This name likely originated in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066, when many French settlers arrived and established themselves in various parts of the country.

The earliest known record of the name Ault can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land and property commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings such as "Auualt", "Aulte", and "Aulte".

In the 12th century, the name Ault was associated with several place names in England, such as Ault Hucknall in Derbyshire and Ault Cliffe in Lancashire. These place names likely referred to locations situated downstream or below a particular landmark, reflecting the topographical meaning of the name.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Ault was Richard de Ault, who lived in Lincolnshire in the 13th century. Another notable bearer of the name was John Ault, a merchant from York who was mentioned in records from the late 14th century.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Ault family established itself in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Yorkshire, Derbyshire, and Lincolnshire. Notable members of the family during this period included William Ault (1557-1629), a landowner in Derbyshire, and Thomas Ault (1618-1692), a clergyman who served as the Rector of St. Mary's Church in Nottinghamshire.

In the 18th century, the Ault family continued to thrive, with several members achieving prominence in various fields. One such individual was John Ault (1738-1812), a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Guildhall and the Royal Exchange.

Throughout the 19th century, the Ault name spread beyond England to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, as members of the family sought new opportunities and adventures. Notable individuals from this period include Henry Ault (1813-1891), a Canadian politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and James Ault (1844-1918), an Australian businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the development of Melbourne.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ault

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Ault.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Ault was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Ault has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Ault was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Ault, please contact us.

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