Find out how popular the last name Bolli is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Bolli.
A surname derived from the Italian word for "bubble" or "boil," possibly referring to an occupation or characteristic.
Bolli, 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 Bolli surname is from the 2010 census data.
Bolli is the 73005th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Bolli surname appeared 266 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Bolli.
We can also compare 2010 data for Bolli 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.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
Rank | 73005 | 71610 | 1.93% |
Count | 266 | 254 | 4.62% |
Proportion per 100k | 0.09 | 0.09 | 0.00% |
The surname Bolli is of Italian origin, specifically from the northern regions of the country. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "bolla," which means "bubble" or "blister." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone who had a peculiar physical characteristic, such as a bubbling or blistered complexion.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Bolli can be traced back to the 13th century in various historical documents from the city-states of northern Italy, such as Genoa and Milan. One notable example is a reference to a merchant named Giovanni Bolli in a Genoese trade registry from the year 1287.
In the 14th century, the Bolli family was well-established in the city of Piacenza, where they held significant influence and wealth. Several members of the family are mentioned in local records, including Niccolò Bolli, who served as a city councilor in 1342, and Giacomo Bolli, a prominent banker and landowner who lived from 1378 to 1449.
During the Renaissance period, the Bolli surname gained further recognition with the emergence of several notable figures. One of the most renowned was Giovanni Battista Bolli, a Milanese painter and architect who lived from 1575 to 1638. His works can still be admired in various churches and palaces throughout northern Italy.
Another prominent individual was Gaspare Bolli, a Genoese navigator and explorer who participated in several expeditions to the Americas in the late 16th century. He is believed to have accompanied Giovanni da Verrazzano on his voyage to the coast of present-day North Carolina in 1524.
In the 18th century, the Bolli family produced several distinguished scholars and intellectuals. Antonio Bolli, born in Parma in 1724, was a renowned historian and author who wrote extensively on the history of his native city. His contemporary, Giuseppe Bolli (1743-1817), was a respected philosopher and theologian who taught at the University of Pavia.
While the surname Bolli has its roots in northern Italy, it has since spread to other regions and countries due to migration and intermarriage. However, the name's Italian origins and the historical figures associated with it remain an integral part of its rich heritage.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Bolli.
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:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Bolli was:
Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
---|---|---|
Non-Hispanic White Only | 91.73% | 244 |
Non-Hispanic Black Only | (S)% | (S) |
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | 3.01% | 8 |
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | (S) |
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | (S)% | (S) |
Hispanic Origin | 2.63% | 7 |
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 Bolli has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
White | 91.73% | 96.46% | -5.03% |
Black | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
Asian and Pacific Islander | 3.01% | (S)% | (S)% |
American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
Two or More Races | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
Hispanic | 2.63% | (S)% | (S)% |
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 Bolli was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
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<a href="http://namecensus.com/last-names/bolli-surname-popularity/">Bolli last name popularity, history, and meaning</a>
"Bolli last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on May 23, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/bolli-surname-popularity/.
"Bolli last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/bolli-surname-popularity/. Accessed 23 May, 2025
Bolli last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/bolli-surname-popularity/.
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