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

Boldt, 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 Boldt surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Boldt in America

Boldt is the 7344th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Boldt surname appeared 4,538 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Boldt.

We can also compare 2010 data for Boldt 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 Boldt

The surname Boldt is of German origin and has its roots in the medieval era. It is derived from the German word "balt," which means "bold" or "brave." This name was initially given as a nickname to someone who displayed courage or boldness in their actions or demeanor.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Boldt can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the German state of Saxony, dating back to the 13th century. The name appeared as "Boldus" in this manuscript, indicating its early use in the region.

The Boldt surname gained prominence in the 14th and 15th centuries, particularly in the northern German regions of Holstein and Mecklenburg. During this period, the name was often associated with families of noble or military backgrounds, reflecting the bold and courageous qualities attributed to its bearers.

Among the notable individuals bearing the Boldt surname, one can mention Johann Boldt (1588-1668), a German composer and organist who served at the court of the Dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg. Another noteworthy figure was Friedrich Boldt (1793-1876), a Prussian military officer who participated in the Napoleonic Wars and later became a renowned military strategist.

In the 16th century, the name Boldt was also found in various records from the city of Hamburg, where it was sometimes spelled as "Boldth" or "Bolthe." One prominent Hamburger with this surname was Hans Boldt (1526-1592), a successful merchant and alderman who played a significant role in the city's trade and governance.

As the name spread across Germany and beyond, it underwent slight variations in spelling, such as "Bolt" or "Bolte." One notable bearer of this variant was Johann Friedrich Bolt (1769-1836), a German botanist and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of plant species in the Cape Colony of South Africa.

Another remarkable individual was Georg Boldt (1835-1909), a German-American hotelier and entrepreneur who owned and managed several prestigious hotels, including the iconic Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. His surname, spelled "Boldt," is a testament to the enduring legacy of this family name in various fields.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Boldt

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

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

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

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