Boldte History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The German state of Prussia, which reached the zenith of its power in the late 19th century, is the glorious birthplace of the distinguished surname Boldte. In the medieval era, after the fall of the Roman Empire, the German lands were inhabited by a variety of Barbarian tribes. The borders of the Barbarian kingdoms changed frequently, but the region that became known as Prussia was roughly divided between the areas of Brandenburg-Prussia, West Prussia, and East Prussia. The colorful history of Brandenburg-Prussia provides a glimpse at the oldest origins of the Boldte family.

Early Origins of the Boldte family

The surname Boldte was first found in Mecklenburg. 1 As seen by the Coat of Arms, the name could have been an occupational name for someone who built bolts or darts.

Around the 1200-1400's some of the family moved from Friesland to Pomerania, where Bolte or Boldeke was a popular personal name. An early record was found in Stettin (Szczecin), West Pomerania in 1344. A few years later, Hans Bolting was listed in 1411 and later again, Joachim Bolte, Mayor of Wolgast, was knighted in 1675 as Bolte von Boltenstern. He was elected by the Swedish King Karl XI in 1675. 2

His son, Franz Michael von Boltenstern (1657-1716) was a German lawyer and director of the royal Swedish court in Greifswald. He and his wife had ten children including his son, Johann Franz von Boltenstern (1700-1763) who was judge at the court court and at the Wismar high tribunal.

Early History of the Boldte family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Boldte research. Another 62 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1700, 1716, 1763, 1786, 1796 and 1814 are included under the topic Early Boldte History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Boldte Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families. Variations of the name Boldte include Bolte, Boltt, Boltte, Boldt, Boldte, Bollte, Bolt and many more.

Early Notables of the Boldte family

Notable figures of the time with the name Boldte were Carl Gottfried von Bolte, who was a cavalry officer possessing estates in Pomerania. Johann Franz von Boltenstern (1700-1763) was a German lawyer and judge at the Court Court in Greifswald and at the Wismar Higher Tribunal. He was the son of...
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Boldte Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Boldte family

Much of German history has been shaped by the state of Prussia. It was an enduring military power until after the Second World War. At that time, the state was abolished altogether and its land divided between the Soviet Union, Poland, East Germany and West Germany. While some Prussians were content to remain in those countries, others moved away, many of them migrating to North America. They entered the United States mostly through Philadelphia, moving on to Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Others went to Canada, settling on the prairies and in the province of Ontario. Among those of this surname listed in various historical records were: Amias Bolte, age 23; who settled in Virginia in 1618; F.W. Bolte arrived in Texas in 1847; Henry Bolte settled in Philadelphia in 1871; as did Hermann Loeb Bolt in 1839.

Citations +

Rietstap, Johannes Baptista, Armorial Général. Baltimore: Genealogical Book Company, 1964. Print.
Bahlow, Hans, Dictionary of German Names. translated by Edda Gentry, Wisconsin: The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System, 2002. Print. (ISBN 0-924119-35-7)