Boulton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 
  Ireland 
  Scotland 


Boulton is a name of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin and comes from the family once having lived in Lancashire and Yorkshire, where they derived their name from any of several places named Boulton or Bolton. The name literally means district characterized by bends from the Old English words boga and land. 1

There are numerous place names throughout the north of England named after this illustrious family including Bolton le Sands in Lancashire, Bolton Castle, Bolton Percy and Bolton upon Dearne in Yorkshire. The Domesday Book of 1086 refers to Bodeltone 2 and it is generally understood that this if the first reference for most of these places.

Early Origins of the Boulton family

The surname Boulton was first found in Lancashire, Yorkshire, Cumberland and Northumberland. The latter "is memorable as the scene of a meeting in 1209, between John, King of England, and William, King of Scotland." 3

The Boldon Book was prepared on orders of Hugh du Puiset, Bishop of Durham in 1183 and while similar to the Domesday Book from a century before, the book lists lands and properties of what would later become County Durham which is now known as the North East. Only four known manuscript copies exist today.

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had two listings for the family: Michael de Boulton, Yorkshire; and Thomas de Boulton, or Bolton, Lincolnshire. 4

In Scotland, the name was "probably from Bolton in East Lothian. Adam de Boultone was reeve of Dunfres, 1287. William fiz Geffray de Boultone del counte de Edeneburk rendered homage, 1296. John of Boulton was employed as a mason at Castle of Linlithgow, 1302, and Robert of Bolton, a Scot, was released from prison in Colchester, 1396." 5

More recently, some of the family were found at Wrightington in Lancashire. "Harrock Hall, the seat of the Boulton family, was purchased in 1839 from the Rigbys, of whom, in 1567, it had already been the residence for four generations: the house, around which are 420 acres, has been restored by the present possessor." 3

Early History of the Boulton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Boulton research. Another 167 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1191, 1321, 1570, 1572, 1575, 1592, 1606, 1611, 1619, 1631, 1633, 1639, 1640, 1645, 1648, 1650, 1654, 1659, 1666, 1680, 1844, 1868, 1878 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Boulton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Boulton Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Boulton family name include Boulton, Bolton, Bolten, Boalton, Boultoun, Boultown, Boltan, Boulten and many more.

Early Notables of the Boulton family

Distinguished members of the family include

Boulton Ranking

In the United States, the name Boulton is the 11,592nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 6 However, in the United Kingdom, the name Boulton is ranked the 868th most popular surname with an estimated 7,851 people with that name. 7

Migration of the Boulton family to Ireland

Some of the Boulton family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 237 words (17 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Boulton migration to the United States +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Boulton surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Boulton Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Boulton Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Boulton Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Boulton migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Boulton Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Boulton migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Boulton Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Boulton (post 1700) +


The Boulton Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Vi et virtute
Motto Translation: By strength and valour.
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