2000
#10,473
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,812
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.04
Rare Last name
Nolt
A surname of German origin, derived from a shortened form of the given name Arnold.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,742 Americans carry the last name Nolt. That puts it at #6,515 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 59,693 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nolt 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
5.7K
1 in 59,693
Census rank
#6,515
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,007 bearers of the surname Nolt in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6515th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nolt, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%) and Two or More Races (0.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nolt
The surname NOLT is believed to have originated in Germany, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century. The name is derived from the German word "knoll," which means a small rounded hill or mound, suggesting that the earliest bearers of this surname may have lived near or on such a geographical feature.
One of the earliest documented references to the NOLT name can be found in the records of the town of Cologne, Germany, where a certain Hans Nolt was mentioned in the year 1567. This record provides valuable insight into the name's early usage and geographical spread.
As the NOLT surname gained prominence, it began to appear in various historical documents and manuscripts throughout the German-speaking regions. Notable examples include the mention of a Johann Nolt in a land registry from the town of Württemberg in 1623, and a reference to a Kaspar Nolt in the parish records of Mainz in 1678.
While the NOLT surname has its roots in Germany, it eventually spread to other parts of Europe and beyond. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name outside of Germany can be found in the marriage records of St. Mary's Church in Amsterdam, Netherlands, where a Johannes Nolt wed Anna Vickers in 1712.
Over the centuries, the NOLT name has been associated with several notable individuals. One such figure was Gottfried Nolt (1685-1758), a renowned German composer and organist whose works were highly regarded during the Baroque period. Another notable bearer of the NOLT name was Wilhelm Nolt (1802-1878), a German philosopher and author who wrote extensively on the subject of ethics and morality.
In the New World, one of the earliest recorded instances of the NOLT surname can be traced back to Johann Nolt, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from the Palatinate region of Germany in 1738. His descendants went on to establish themselves in various parts of the United States, particularly in the state of Pennsylvania.
Another prominent figure with the NOLT surname was William Nolt (1845-1923), an American businessman and philanthropist who made his fortune in the steel industry. He was known for his generous contributions to various educational and charitable institutions in his hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
While the NOLT surname may have evolved in its spelling and pronunciation over time, its historical roots can be traced back to the German word "knoll," reflecting the geographical origins of its earliest bearers. From its humble beginnings in Germany, the NOLT name has traveled across continents and left an indelible mark on the lives of individuals and communities around the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nolt
Among Census respondents with the surname Nolt, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%) and Two or More Races (0.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Nolt 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 Nolt surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.8% · 4,898
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 46
- Two or more races0.7% · 33
- Black or African American0.4% · 22
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.1% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nolt
Nolt 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
#9,001
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,634
+822 bearers (+29.2%)
Per 100,000 1.23
Rank movement Up 1,472 places
2020
#6,515
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,007
+1,373 bearers (+37.8%)
Per 100,000 1.68
Rank movement Up 2,486 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,473 | 2,812 | 1.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,001 | 3,634 | 1.23 | +822 bearers (+29.2%) | Up 1,472 places |
| 2020 | #6,515 | 5,007 | 1.68 | +1,373 bearers (+37.8%) | Up 2,486 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 Nolt 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 | #9,001 | #6,515 | 27.6% |
| Count | 3,634 | 5,007 | 37.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.23 | 1.68 | 36.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nolt bearers went from 3,634 to 5,007 (+37.8% change). The surname moved up 2,486 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,001 to #6,515.
FAQ
Nolt surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nolt?
Name Census estimates that about 5,742 living Americans carry the surname Nolt. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 59,693 residents.
How common is Nolt?
Nolt ranks #6,515 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.68 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,007 people with the surname Nolt. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,742), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.68 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Nolt.
Has Nolt become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nolt went from 3,634 recorded bearers to 5,007. That is an increase of 1,373 (+37.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,001 to #6,515.
What does the Census say about the background of Nolt?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nolt, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%) and Two or More Races (0.7%). 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 Nolt in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.8% (4,898 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nolt appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.8%), Hispanic (0.9%), Two or More Races (0.7%). 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 Nolt (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 Nolt mean?
A surname of German origin, derived from a shortened form of the given name Arnold. 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 Nolt (1.68 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 have the last name Nolt?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Nolt at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.