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

Belt, 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 Belt surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Belt in America

Belt is the 4065th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Belt surname appeared 8,737 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 Belt.

We can also compare 2010 data for Belt 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 Belt

The surname Belt is believed to have originated in England, with the earliest records dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "belt," which referred to a belt or girdle worn around the waist. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname, given to someone who made or sold belts.

The first recorded instance of the surname Belt can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where a person named Robert le Belter is mentioned. This early spelling variation, "le Belter," further supports the occupational origin of the name.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various forms in different regions of England. In the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk from 1327, a man named John Belter is listed. Similarly, in the Poll Tax Records of Yorkshire from 1379, a person named Willelmus Belt is recorded.

As the surname spread across different parts of England, it evolved into various spellings, such as Belte, Belter, and Beltere. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and scribes' interpretations of the name.

One notable historical figure with the surname Belt was William Belt, an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Huntingdon from 1620 to 1622. Another prominent individual was John Belt, a 17th-century English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Peterhouse, Cambridge, from 1663 to 1679.

In the 18th century, the name appears in the records of the Huguenot Society of London, suggesting that some Belt families may have been part of the Huguenot migration to England from France during that period.

Other notable individuals with the surname Belt include:

1. John Belt (1799-1856), an English inventor and engineer known for his contributions to the development of the first continuously revolving mechanical oven.

2. Thomas Belt (1832-1878), an English naturalist and geologist who studied the natural history of Nicaragua and wrote "The Naturalist in Nicaragua."

3. Elijah Belt (1800-1876), an American politician and lawyer who served as the 8th Lieutenant Governor of Ohio from 1854 to 1856.

4. Robert Belt (1872-1955), an English cricketer who played for Somerset County Cricket Club in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

5. Harriet Belt (1816-1890), an American abolitionist and women's rights activist who worked alongside notable figures like William Lloyd Garrison and Frederick Douglass.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Belt

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

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 Belt 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 Belt 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 Belt was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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