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

Boelter, 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 Boelter surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Boelter in America

Boelter is the 14965th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Boelter surname appeared 1,976 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Boelter.

We can also compare 2010 data for Boelter 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 Boelter

The surname Boelter is of German origin, believed to have originated in the 14th century. It is derived from the German word "Bölter," which refers to a maker or seller of bolts, a type of crossbow projectile. The name was likely an occupational surname given to individuals involved in the production or trading of bolts during the Middle Ages.

The earliest known records of the surname Boelter can be traced back to areas in present-day Germany, particularly in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony. Some of the earliest documented instances of the name include Henne Bolter in the town of Zittau, Saxony, in 1387, and Claus Bolter in Nuremberg, Bavaria, in 1412.

In the 15th century, the name Boelter appeared in various records and manuscripts across German-speaking regions. For instance, in 1456, a Hanns Bolter was mentioned in the records of the city of Erfurt, Thuringia. Additionally, the name was found in the Nuremberg tax rolls of 1497, indicating the presence of Boelter families in the city during that time.

One notable individual with the surname Boelter was Johann Boelter (1640-1720), a German theologian and philosopher who served as a professor at the University of Jena. He published several influential works on ethics and philosophy during his lifetime.

Another prominent figure was Carl Boelter (1784-1859), a German architect and urban planner. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings in Berlin, including the Alte Nationalgalerie and the Neue Wache, which still stand today.

In the 19th century, the surname Boelter gained recognition through the contributions of Gustav Boelter (1825-1892), a German industrialist and inventor. He is credited with developing the first practical steam-powered printing press, which revolutionized the printing industry at the time.

Other notable individuals with the surname Boelter include Heinrich Boelter (1868-1942), a German artist and sculptor known for his works in bronze and marble, and Karl Boelter (1892-1963), a German-American engineer and academic who made significant contributions to the field of heat transfer and thermodynamics.

Over time, the surname Boelter has spread beyond Germany to other parts of the world, particularly to countries with German immigrant communities, such as the United States and Canada. However, its origins can be traced back to the occupational roots in medieval Germany, where individuals involved in the production and trade of bolts were first given this distinctive surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Boelter

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

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

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

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