Surname Bolitha - Meaning and Origin
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Bolitha: What does the surname Bolitha mean?
The origin of the surname Bolitha is not definitively known, but there are several theories about where it came from. It is thought that Bolitha may be a corruption of the Old Gaelic Gaelic name O’Beoladha, which is translated as ‘descendant of the Beoladha’. Beoladha was an Irish chieftain of the semi-legendary MacFergus family from the ninth century. Alternatively, Bolitha may be derived from the Celtics word bol meaning ‘hazel’. This term may be linked to early Celtic druids as hazel was thought to hold mystical powers.
The Bolitha surname is mostly found in England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. It is believed that bearers of the Bolitha name originated independently in each of these countries. The early population of each region was made up of a mixture of people from a variety of backgrounds and cultures. Therefore, it is difficult to conclusively trace the history and etymology of the surname Bolitha back to one specific source.
Today, the Bolitha surname is found throughout the world, with bearers of the name living in a variety of countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The name has been adapted all over the world, sometimes becoming anglicized when it is found in non-English speaking countries. While the original meaning of the Bolitha surname may be lost, the name itself is still remembered and carries its own unique history.
Order DNA origin analysisBolitha: Where does the name Bolitha come from?
The last name Bolitha is of British origin and common today in areas of the United States which were originally settled by British colonists. There are currently 43 people living in the United States with the Bolitha surname according to the most recent U.S. Census records.
The most common states for those with the last name Bolitha are Tennessee, Virginia, and Texas. These states are home to a combined 7 individuals out of the total 43. Tennessee is home to the highest number of Bolitha family members at 4 people. Virginia has the second highest population of Bolitha's with 2 people. Texas is the third most common state to house members of the Bolitha family with 1 individual.
The Bolitha surname is more common in the southern and Mid-Atlantic states compared to the rest of the nation. It is often thought to have originated in England, although this has not been confirmed. The name likely derived from the Anglo-Saxon name Bolle, which means “Bulge.” The last name can also be spelled “Bollitha,” with “Boll” meaning “Sphere.”
As a result of the British colonization, the Bolitha last name is still prominent in to some of the original colonies with the highest population concentrations in the United States exclusively found in the southern and Mid-Atlantic region.
Variations of the surname Bolitha
The surname Bolitha can be spelled in various ways, including Bolitho, Bollitho, Bolleythaand Bolithaw. Other alternate spellings are Balletha, Bollitta, and Balletto. The surname is often also seen in its Welsh spelling, Bwllitho. It also has various variants from other languages, including Bolitho, Polish Bolećka, Dutch Bolitha and Basque Bolitho.
The Bolitha surname originated in Cornwall, England, during the Middle Ages and likely derives from a Cornish first name. The Bolitho family is proud of its Cornish roots, where they trace their ancestry back to the 1500s.
In Scotland, the surname spells itself Bolitho and is a habitational name from the village of Bolitho in Isles of Scilly.
The causes of the surname’s multiple spellings, spellings in other languages, and other variants can be attributed to the migrations of various regions, and it is quite common to see multiple spellings and regional adaptations of the same surname. It is also possible that some of the variants of the surname were adopted as a way of distinguishing different branches of the family from each other.
Examples of surnames that evolved from the Bolitha family include Boylitha, Belletta, Bollaito, Boleta, Boletta, Balleta, Ballitta, Balletto, Boelke, Bullitt, Bouillet, and Bolet.
Famous people with the name Bolitha
- Clare Bolitho, Australian film and television actress
- Katherine Bolitho, British author and journalist
- Abe Bolitho, a former Australian cricketer
- Tom Bolitho, former Liberal Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Canada
- Peter Bolitho, a former Welsh rugby union player
- Gordon Bolitho, a Professor of Internal Medicine and Endocrinology at the University of Queensland, Australia
- Mark Bolitho, a former Olympic swimmer from New Zealand
- Anthony Bolitho, a British-Canadian professor of computer science
- Ernest Bolitho, a former Member of Parliament in the British House of Commons
- Frederick William Bolitho, a former English Labour Party politician