Jennifer,

Robert Walpole
Robert Walpole

I have been trying to find out the meanings of both my maiden name and my married name. Neither one is common, and the only people I have met with either surname is a relative! I know both names are from England, but that is all I know. My maiden name is Walpole, and my married name is Blott.

Any help is greatly appreciated.
Have a great day!
Nicki

Dear Nicki,

I use several sites for nickname meanings. It appears that both names, Walpole and Blott are regional, meaning they were used for families from a certain region or town.

I found background on the name Walpole on the Surname Database. The Walpole families came from either Walepola in Suffolk, England or Walepol in Norfolk. According to the site, Walpole means the “pool of the Britons.” There was a famous Robert Walpole who was considered the first Prime Minister of England (1721 – 1742). You should research your roots and see if you’re related!

As for Blott, I found some information on HouseofNames.com. The surname Blott was used for families who came from the village of De Blot in the Auvergne region of France. In England it could be spelled Blot, Blott, Blotte and in France Bloteau, Bluteau and De Blot. In America, there was an early settler in Charlestown, Massachusetts named Robert Blott in 1635.

Hope that helps!
Jennifer

Jennifer Moss (she/her) is the founder of BabyNames.com, author of The Baby Names Workbook, and Producer of The Baby Names Podcast. Jennifer is widely regarded as the leading expert on popular baby name trends and the naming process, serving as the authoritative source on the subject for national and international media.

Jennifer entered the tech arena in the 80s as a software developer and database architect, and became a pioneer in the Internet industry. In addition to operating BabyNames.com, Jennifer owns a web development agency in central California.