Holbert
A masculine name of uncertain origin, possibly a diminutive of a Germanic name.
Name Census estimates that about 24 living Americans carry the first name Holbert. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Holbert today is around 84 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Holbert births was 1916 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Holbert. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Holbert is about 84 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Holberts were born before 1952.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Holbert. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
24
~ 1 in 14,281,431 Americans
Peak year
1916
10 babies that year
Average age
84
years old
1949 SSA rank
#3,932
Tracked since 1913
Popularity
Holbert: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Holbert from the 1910s through to the 1940s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 46 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Holbert by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Holbert during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Holbert
The given name Holbert has its origins in the Old English language, tracing back to the early medieval period around the 6th to 11th centuries. It is derived from the Germanic elements "hol" meaning "hollow" or "depression," and "bert," a common Germanic name suffix meaning "bright" or "famous." This combination suggests the name may have initially referred to someone living in a hollow or valley.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Holbert can be found in the Domesday Book, a vast survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. Here, the name appears as "Holbertus," indicating its use during the Norman period in England.
In the 12th century, the name Holbert gained some historical significance when it was borne by Holbert of Auxerre, a French theologian and philosopher who wrote influential works on grammar and logic. Born around 1090 in Auxerre, France, he taught at the University of Paris and had a lasting impact on medieval scholasticism.
Another notable figure with the name Holbert was Sir Holbert de Neville, an English nobleman and military commander during the Hundred Years' War in the 14th century. He fought alongside Edward III at the Battle of Crécy in 1346 and was later appointed Warden of the East March, responsible for defending the English border with Scotland.
In the 16th century, Holbert Wanley was an English antiquarian and scholar who made significant contributions to the study of Anglo-Saxon manuscripts. Born in 1665 in Coventry, England, he worked as a secretary and librarian for several prominent figures, including the Earl of Oxford and the Earl of Arundel.
Jumping forward to the 19th century, Holbert Landon was an American politician and lawyer who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives for Virginia from 1833 to 1837. He was born in 1798 in Westmoreland County, Virginia, and later practiced law in Alexandria.
These historical examples showcase the use of the given name Holbert across various cultures and time periods, from its Old English roots to its appearance in medieval Europe, the Hundred Years' War, and even in early American politics. While not an extremely common name, it has left its mark on history, carried by scholars, military leaders, and public figures over the centuries.
People
Holbert + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Holbert as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with H
Other first names starting with H with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Holbert: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Holbert?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 24 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Holbert going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 14,281,431 US residents.
Is Holbert a common name?
We classify Holbert as "Very Rare". It ranks above 43% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 143 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Holbert most popular?
The single biggest year for Holbert was 1916, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Holbert is about 84 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Holbert a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Holbert in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.