Ault
Ault is usually an English or German surname meaning “old,” often a spelling variant of Auld or Alt.
The #4,723 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 41,117 Americans shares it.
Etymology
In English usage, Ault is best understood as a spelling variant of Auld, a nickname from Middle English and northern dialect forms meaning “old.” In German contexts, it can also reflect Alt, the same basic word for “old,” sometimes shifted in spelling and pronunciation in English-speaking countries. The surname therefore points to age, seniority, or an old man as the original nickname sense.
History
The English form is especially associated with northern Britain, where Auld was the normal dialect spelling. In the United States, Ault can also be found among families of German ancestry, where it often represents the German surname Alt after anglicized spelling. The name is relatively uncommon but has been in steady use in English-speaking countries for centuries.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Some surname dictionaries explicitly group Ault with Auld and Alt as the same “old” nickname family, just in different language traditions.
From the historical record
“''■ London, 1 i BoMon (U.S.). i. Auld. Ault, Aulde.— Nick. ■ the old," a North Enilish form ; v. Ould ; cf. Youne, Yonge. The following is curious :— 1608. 'July 7. WB( drlii'crfd anlo”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instances