Bolton Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Bolton last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Bolton coat of arms for you.
Meaning and origin of the Bolton last name
Meaning of the Bolton last name: dwelling settlement. Bolton is an English surname from one of several northern places called Bolton, from Old English words for "dwelling" and "settlement", the main settlement of an estate. There are Boltons in Lancashire, Yorkshire, Cumbria and Northumberland. A curious detail of this surname origin: Mary, Queen of Scots, was held at Bolton Castle in Wensleydale, and the last name is still most common in Lancashire and Yorkshire.
Arms associated with the Bolton name
Heraldry uses only a few colours and metals, so a coat of arms associated with the Bolton surname can be read at a distance, and its blazon fits in a single line.
Get your full Bolton family history
This is only a glimpse of the Bolton story. The full Bolton history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Bolton coat of arms. Get the full Bolton report.
Bolton name FAQ
What does the Bolton name mean?
Dwelling settlement. Common variants include Boulton.
Where does the Bolton surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Ireland and Australia.
Is there a Bolton coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Bolton coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).