Rainbolt last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Rainbolt

An occupational surname for someone who crafts or fastens bolts, or a skilled archer who could "rain" bolts.

Rainbolt, 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 Rainbolt surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rainbolt in America

Rainbolt is the 14986th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rainbolt surname appeared 1,972 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 Rainbolt.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rainbolt 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 14986 13513 10.34%
Count 1,972 2,062 -4.46%
Proportion per 100k 0.67 0.76 -12.59%

The history of the last name Rainbolt

The surname Rainbolt has its origins in England, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Middle English words "rein" and "bolt," which together meant a bolt or an arrow with a long shaft. This suggests that the name may have referred to someone skilled in archery or the making of arrows.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275, where a person named William Raynbold is mentioned. The spelling variation "Raynbold" was common during this period, reflecting the way the name was pronounced.

In the 14th century, the Rainbolt name appeared in various records across the English counties of Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, and Warwickshire. This suggests that the name was concentrated in the West Midlands region during this time.

The Rainbolt surname has also been linked to the village of Rainbolt in Gloucestershire, which may have been the place of origin for some families bearing this name. However, the exact connection between the place name and the surname remains unclear.

Notable individuals with the Rainbolt surname throughout history include John Rainbolt (1550-1620), a wealthy landowner and merchant from Worcestershire. Another was Thomas Rainbolt (1625-1698), a farmer and militia captain who served during the English Civil War.

In the 18th century, the Rainbolt family had established themselves in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon, with Samuel Rainbolt (1712-1782) being a respected local businessperson and landowner. His son, William Rainbolt (1745-1821), was a prominent figure in the community, serving as a magistrate and a church warden.

The 19th century saw the Rainbolt name spread further across England, with notable individuals such as Charles Rainbolt (1820-1892), a successful industrialist and entrepreneur from Manchester, and Mary Rainbolt (1855-1937), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights.

Throughout its history, the Rainbolt surname has maintained a strong presence in England, particularly in the West Midlands region, where it originated. While the name may have evolved from its original meaning related to archery, it continues to carry a rich heritage and legacy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rainbolt

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

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 Rainbolt was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 89.66% 1,768
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.96% 19
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.61% 12
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 3.14% 62
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 3.45% 68
Hispanic Origin 2.18% 43

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 Rainbolt has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 89.66% 91.85% -2.41%
Black 0.96% 1.07% -10.84%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.61% 0.29% 71.11%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 3.14% 3.06% 2.58%
Two or More Races 3.45% 2.76% 22.22%
Hispanic 2.18% 0.97% 76.83%

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

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

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Rainbolt last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 9, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/rainbolt-surname-popularity/.

"Rainbolt last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/rainbolt-surname-popularity/. Accessed 9 November, 2024

Rainbolt last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/rainbolt-surname-popularity/.

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