2000
#10,292
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,869
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.06
Rare Last name
Debolt
An occupational surname for a maker or user of catapults, derived from the Middle English "bolt" meaning arrow.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,866 Americans carry the last name Debolt. That puts it at #11,957 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.84 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 119,593 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Debolt surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
2.9K
1 in 119,593
Census rank
#11,957
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,499 bearers of the surname Debolt in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.84 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11957th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Debolt, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Debolt
The surname DEBOLT originated in the Rhineland region of Germany during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the medieval German words "de Bolte," which translates to "of the bolt" or "of the crossbow bolt." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name may have been skilled crossbowmen or fletchers who crafted bolts for crossbows.
One of the earliest records of the DEBOLT surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Nassoicus, a collection of historical documents from the Nassau region of Germany, dating back to the 13th century. In this codex, a reference is made to a certain "Henricus de Bolte" in the year 1275, indicating the presence of the surname in that region during that time period.
As the DEBOLT family migrated across Europe, variations in spelling emerged, such as DeBoldt, DeBoult, and DeBolt. These spelling variations were likely influenced by regional dialects and the preference of scribes who recorded the name in official documents.
In the 15th century, the DEBOLT surname appeared in the records of the city of Cologne, Germany, with the mention of a merchant named Johann DeBolt in 1437. This suggests that members of the DEBOLT family had established themselves as successful tradesmen in the city's thriving commercial centers.
One of the earliest known individuals to bear the DEBOLT surname was Sir William DeBolt (c. 1490-1558), an English nobleman and landowner who served as a member of Parliament during the reign of King Henry VIII. Sir William's family is believed to have originated from the German DeBolt lineage, demonstrating the spread of the name across borders.
Another notable figure was Hans DeBolt (1532-1603), a German theologian and religious reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. His writings and teachings influenced the development of Lutheran theology in the 16th century.
In the 17th century, the DEBOLT surname made its way to the American colonies, with records indicating the arrival of Peter DeBolt in Pennsylvania in 1683. Peter's descendants went on to establish themselves in various parts of the United States, contributing to the growth and development of the nation.
One of the most prominent figures in American history with the DEBOLT surname was General John DeBolt (1788-1862), who served in the War of 1812 and later became a respected politician and statesman in Ohio. His leadership and contributions to the state's development earned him a lasting place in the annals of American history.
As the DEBOLT family spread across the globe, they left their mark in various fields, from the arts and sciences to politics and military service. The surname continues to be a source of pride and a testament to the rich historical legacy of its bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Debolt
Among Census respondents with the surname Debolt, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Debolt bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Debolt surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.1% · 2,301
- Two or more races3.4% · 86
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 80
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 10
- Black or African American0.4% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Debolt
Debolt appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#11,062
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,872
+3 bearers (+0.1%)
Per 100,000 0.97
Rank movement Down 770 places
2020
#11,957
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,499
-373 bearers (-13.0%)
Per 100,000 0.84
Rank movement Down 895 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,292 | 2,869 | 1.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,062 | 2,872 | 0.97 | +3 bearers (+0.1%) | Down 770 places |
| 2020 | #11,957 | 2,499 | 0.84 | -373 bearers (-13.0%) | Down 895 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Debolt surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #11,062 | #11,957 | -8.1% |
| Count | 2,872 | 2,499 | -13.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.97 | 0.84 | -13.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Debolt bearers went from 2,872 to 2,499 (-13.0% change). The surname moved down 895 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,062 to #11,957.
FAQ
Debolt surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Debolt?
Name Census estimates that about 2,866 living Americans carry the surname Debolt. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 119,593 residents.
How common is Debolt?
Debolt ranks #11,957 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.84 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,499 people with the surname Debolt. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,866), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.84 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.84 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Debolt.
Has Debolt become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Debolt went from 2,872 recorded bearers to 2,499. That is a decrease of 373 (-13.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,062 to #11,957.
What does the Census say about the background of Debolt?
Among Census respondents with the surname Debolt, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (3.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Debolt in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.1% (2,301 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Debolt appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.1%), Two or More Races (3.4%), Hispanic (3.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Debolt (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Debolt mean?
An occupational surname for a maker or user of catapults, derived from the Middle English "bolt" meaning arrow. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Debolt (0.84 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Debolt?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.