NameCensus.

UK surname

Bold

A surname derived from the word meaning brave or daring.

In the 1881 census there were 826 people recorded with the Bold surname, ranking it #4,553 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 873, ranked #6,444, down from #4,553 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Leek, Eccles and Wigan. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wigan, Bridgend and Sefton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bold is 969 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 5.7%.

1881 census count

826

Ranked #4,553

Modern count

873

2016, ranked #6,444

Peak year

1999

969 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bold had 826 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,553 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 873 in 2016, ranked #6,444.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 869 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Bold surname distribution map

The map shows where the Bold surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Bold surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bold over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 597 #4,298
1861 historical 626 #4,275
1881 historical 826 #4,553
1891 historical 772 #5,191
1901 historical 869 #5,268
1911 historical 862 #5,155
1997 modern 901 #5,956
1998 modern 953 #5,884
1999 modern 969 #5,856
2000 modern 942 #5,970
2001 modern 909 #6,040
2002 modern 914 #6,133
2003 modern 882 #6,179
2004 modern 885 #6,178
2005 modern 870 #6,186
2006 modern 839 #6,380
2007 modern 859 #6,323
2008 modern 865 #6,330
2009 modern 881 #6,374
2010 modern 914 #6,316
2011 modern 894 #6,351
2012 modern 872 #6,399
2013 modern 901 #6,336
2014 modern 900 #6,372
2015 modern 878 #6,430
2016 modern 873 #6,444

Geography

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Where Bolds are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Leek, Eccles, Wigan, Liverpool and Prescot. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wigan, Bridgend, Sefton, Leeds and Salford. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Leek Staffordshire
2 Eccles Lancashire
3 Wigan Lancashire
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Prescot Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wigan 018 Wigan
2 Bridgend 018 Bridgend
3 Sefton 022 Sefton
4 Leeds 070 Leeds
5 Salford 007 Salford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bold

These lists show first names that appear often with the Bold surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bold

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Bold, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Bold surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Bold household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Bold is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bold is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bold falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bold is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Bold, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Bold

The surname Bold has its origins in England, and is derived from the Old English word 'beald', meaning brave or courageous. It is thought to have been initially used as a nickname for someone who displayed these qualities, before becoming an inherited family name.

The earliest recorded use of the name Bold can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Boldus' in the county of Shropshire. This suggests the name had already become established in certain regions of England by the late 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, variations in spelling were common, with the name appearing in records as 'Bolde', 'Balde', and 'Bould'. These alterations often reflected local dialects and the preferences of those transcribing the name.

One of the earliest individuals recorded with the surname Bold was John Bold, who was born in Suffolk, England in the late 13th century and served as a member of parliament for Ipswich in 1312.

In the 15th century, the name can be found in the records of the town of Bolton in Lancashire, which may have derived its name from the Old English 'bold-tun', meaning a settlement or homestead belonging to someone named Bold.

A notable figure bearing the Bold surname was Henry Bold, an English theologian and academic who was born in Lincolnshire in 1627. He served as the Master of Jesus College, Cambridge, and was widely respected for his scholarly works on theology and philosophy.

Another prominent individual with the Bold surname was Thomas Bold, a successful merchant and philanthropist who was born in London in 1679. He amassed a considerable fortune through his business ventures and donated generously to various charitable causes, including the founding of a school for underprivileged children in London.

In the 19th century, John Bold gained recognition as a pioneering English engineer and inventor. Born in Lancashire in 1819, he is credited with numerous innovations in the field of textile machinery, which helped to revolutionize the industrial production of textiles.

The surname Bold has also been associated with notable figures in the arts and literature. One such individual was Fenwick Bold, an English painter and etcher who was born in Northumberland in 1887. His works focused on landscapes and rural scenes, and he is particularly renowned for his etchings depicting the countryside of northern England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bold families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bold surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 405 Bolds recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.22x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 405 4.22x
Staffordshire 98 3.59x
Yorkshire 57 0.71x
Middlesex 46 0.57x
Cheshire 38 2.13x
Durham 22 0.91x
Surrey 21 0.53x
Gloucestershire 10 0.63x
Midlothian 10 0.92x
Selkirkshire 10 13.65x
Glamorgan 9 0.64x
Kent 9 0.33x
Warwickshire 9 0.44x
Northumberland 8 0.66x
Roxburghshire 8 5.45x
Derbyshire 7 0.55x
Essex 7 0.44x
Pembrokeshire 7 2.72x
Renfrewshire 7 1.12x
Shropshire 7 1.00x
Worcestershire 6 0.57x
Brecknockshire 5 3.09x
Sussex 4 0.29x
Channel Islands 3 1.25x
Hampshire 3 0.18x
Northamptonshire 3 0.39x
Devon 2 0.12x
Radnorshire 2 3.06x
Dorset 1 0.19x
East Lothian 1 0.93x
Hertfordshire 1 0.18x
Lanarkshire 1 0.04x
Leicestershire 1 0.11x
Lincolnshire 1 0.08x
Wiltshire 1 0.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Windle in Lancashire leads with 42 Bolds recorded in 1881 and an index of 77.69x.

Place Total Index
Windle 42 77.69x
Pendleton In Salford 32 27.96x
Sutton 26 80.70x
Billinge Chapel End 24 445.27x
Leek Lowe 24 66.01x
Ince In Makerfield 23 51.45x
Widnes 23 33.19x
Worsley 20 33.77x
Dewsbury 19 23.09x
Stoke Upon Trent 19 6.56x
Parr 18 52.37x
Aughton 14 147.21x
Salford 14 4.95x
Trentham 14 60.24x
Gateshead 13 7.21x
Cheddleton 12 209.79x
Everton 12 3.92x
Liverpool 12 2.06x
Stow 10 179.21x
Toxteth Park 10 3.07x
Islington London 9 1.15x
Lydiate 9 301.00x
Runcorn 9 21.84x
Ashton In Makerfield 8 29.24x
Blackburn 8 3.13x
Little Hulton 8 50.28x
St Luke London 8 6.16x
Waterfall 8 695.65x
Batley 7 9.18x
Bromley London 7 3.93x
Coventry St Michael 7 10.67x
Egham 7 28.90x
Galashiels 7 25.85x
Hindley 7 17.09x
Lilleshall 7 65.48x
Litherland 7 34.84x
Pembroke St Mary 7 21.12x
Abbey 6 6.27x
Epsom 6 31.20x
Hawick 6 18.28x
Ince Blundell 6 408.16x
Knottingley 6 42.55x
Leeds 6 1.32x
Longbenton 6 11.76x
Manchester 6 1.39x
St Pancras London 6 0.92x
Bollington In 5 31.43x
Halton 5 125.31x
Heskin 5 471.70x
Lambeth 5 0.71x
Llanvigan 5 328.95x
Maghull 5 125.31x
Pendlebury 5 24.65x
Saffron Walden 5 29.60x
Wigan 5 3.72x
Worcester St John 5 39.59x
Ynysawdre 5 219.30x
Brinnington 4 23.95x
Cheetham 4 5.58x
North Meols 4 4.25x
Rainow 4 112.36x
Soothill 4 13.80x
St Brides Minor 4 157.48x
St Giles In Fields London 4 10.07x
Tonbridge 4 4.01x
Walton On Hill 4 7.68x
Westoe 4 2.93x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 3 2.01x
Burton Upon Trent 3 4.69x
Eastbourne 3 4.78x
Eccleston In Prescot 3 6.22x
Gorton 3 3.32x
Kearsley 3 14.84x
Kettlewell With 3 288.46x
Orrell 3 25.10x
Sculcoates 3 2.36x
Shareshill Hilton 3 275.23x
Southwark St George Martyr 3 1.84x
St George Martyr London 3 18.29x
Warslow Elkstone 3 185.19x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Bold surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 62
Elizabeth 48
Sarah 27
Ann 22
Margaret 19
Jane 18
Ellen 16
Alice 11
Annie 11
Eliza 11
Hannah 10
Martha 9
Catherine 7
Agnes 6
Charlotte 6
Emma 5
Fanny 5
Florence 5
Amelia 4
Anne 4
Clara 4
Elizth. 4
Emily 4
Eleanor 3
Harriett 3
Henrietta 3
Marion 3
Enma 2
Harriet 2
Helen 2
Isabella 2
Jessie 2
Kate 2
Laura 2
Lizzie 2
Lucy 2
Lydia 2
Maria 2
Minnie 2
Rose 2
Rosetta 2
Selina 2
Cecilia 1
Christiana 1
Ella 1
Ethel 1
Eunice 1
Judith 1
Julia 1
Lasisia 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Bold surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 55
John 54
Thomas 44
James 41
George 21
Robert 21
Charles 15
Henry 13
Edward 11
Richard 11
Joseph 9
Peter 9
Alfred 6
Arthur 6
Samuel 5
Thos. 4
Albert 3
Ernest 3
Frederick 3
Harry 3
Abel 2
Andrew 2
Christopher 2
Edwin 2
Herbert 2
Hugh 2
Jacob 2
Jesse 2
Jesson 2
Jonathan 2
Lawrence 2
Luke 2
Stephen 2
Wm. 2
Abm. 1
David 1
Dick 1
Frances 1
Fred 1
Fred. 1
Fredk. 1
Fredk.W. 1
Gerald 1
Harold 1
Jas. 1
Jno.Thos. 1
Jno.William 1
Joel 1
Joshua 1
Michael 1

FAQ

Bold surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bold surname in 1881?

In 1881, 826 people were recorded with the Bold surname. That placed it at #4,553 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bold surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 873 in 2016. That gives Bold a modern rank of #6,444.

What does the Bold surname mean?

A surname derived from the word meaning brave or daring.

What does the Bold map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Bold bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.