Daily AncestorBellboy
A bellboy was a hotel worker, usually a boy or young man, who carried guests' luggage, showed them to their rooms and ran errands.
The American name bellhop comes from the desk clerk ringing a bell to summon a porter, who would hop to the desk for instructions; its first known use is 1897. The job traditionally went to a boy or teenager, hence bellboy.
Bellboys wore a uniform with a small round brimless cap. Besides carrying bags they opened doors, called cabs and answered guests' needs.
As seen in a recordOccupation column of the 1900 to 1940 census
Harry Fisk, 17, Bellboy, Hotel
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Daily Ancestor. "Bellboy." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/occupations/bellboy. Last checked 2026-10-10.