Explore the Family Name Bold
The meaning of Bold
1. English (Lancashire and Staffordshire): from Middle English bold ‘dwelling-house’ (Old English bold the West Midland and northwestern form of Old English bōthl, bōtl), especially in the sense ‘castle or manor house’ for someone who lived or worked at the main house, or a habitational name from one of the many places called with this word, for example Bold (Lancashire), The Bold in Aston Botterell (Shropshire), Booden Farm in Haughton, Booth in Blithfield, and Bull Bridge in Penkridge (all Staffordshire). Compare Bodle. 2. English: nickname from Middle English bold, Old English b(e)ald ‘bold, brave, noble’, which in Middle English developed the additional sense ‘arrogant, impudent, shameless’. 3. English: variant of Bolt and possibly a variant of Bald 2. 4. German: from the ancient Germanic personal name Baldo, a short form of various compound names based on the element bald ‘bold’, notably Baldwin in the north, and Reinbold in the south. Compare Boldt and Bolt. 5. German: nickname from Middle Low German bolt ‘quick, brave’ or Middle High German bolte ‘bolt, shackle’. 6. Swedish: probably of German origin (see 4 and 5 above).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Bold in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname "Bold" has seen a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, "Bold" ranked as the 16,899th most common surname, but by 2010, it fell to 19,114th place — a drop of 13.11%. Similarly, the count of individuals with this surname also decreased over this decade, from 1,554 in 2000 to 1,423 in 2010, marking an 8.43% decline. The proportion per 100,000 people carrying this surname also decreased by 17.24%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #16,899 | #19,114 | -13.11% |
| Count | 1,554 | 1,423 | -8.43% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.58 | 0.48 | -17.24% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Bold
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows that the majority of those with the Bold surname identify as White, with a very slight decrease of 0.15% from 82.69% in 2000 to 82.57% in 2010. The second-largest ethnic group is Black, which experienced a decrease from 7.46% in 2000 to 6.25% in 2010, a change of -16.22%. Meanwhile, those who identify as Asian or Pacific Islander represented a steady 5.86% in 2000 and rose slightly to 5.97% in 2010. Interestingly, the Hispanic representation within the Bold surname saw a significant increase of 39.30%, rising from 2.57% in 2000 to 3.58% in 2010. There was no recorded change for those identifying as two or more races or American Indian and Alaskan Native.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 82.69% | 82.57% | -0.15% |
| Black | 7.46% | 6.25% | -16.22% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 5.86% | 5.97% | 1.88% |
| Hispanic | 2.57% | 3.58% | 39.3% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |