Bolt Family History
Bolt Surname Meaning
English: from Middle English bolt ‘bolt bar’ also ‘bundle’ (Old English bolt ‘arrow’). One of the most common senses of this word was ‘the blunt-headed bolt of a crossbow’ so it could have been given to an archer or to a maker of iron bars or bolts. Bolt was also used metaphorically for a short thickset or tubby person and for someone who was physically upright as a bolt i.e. ‘as straight as an arrow’. English: variant of Bold Dutch North German and Danish: from the ancient Germanic personal name Baldo a short form of various compound names with the first element bald ‘bold’. See also German Bold compare German and Danish Boldt . North German: nickname from Middle Low German bolt ‘quick defiant daring’.
Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022