Holton
Of Old English origin, referring to a dweller in a hollow.
Name Census estimates that about 926 living Americans carry the first name Holton. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Holton today is around 17 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Holton births was 2021 (51 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Holton. 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.
People living today
926
~ 1 in 370,145 Americans
Peak year
2021
51 babies that year
Average age
17
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,057
Tracked since 1914
Popularity
Holton: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Holton from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 10 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 364 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Holton remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Holton 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 Holton during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Holtons live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. Texas, Florida, North Carolina recorded the most babies named Holton, while Michigan, Ohio, Georgia recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 25 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Holton
The name Holton is an English surname that has been adapted as a given name. It is believed to have originated in the Middle Ages, derived from the Old English words "hol" meaning "hollow" and "tun" meaning "enclosure" or "settlement." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in a small village or settlement located in a hollow or valley.
The earliest recorded use of Holton as a surname dates back to the 13th century in England. It was primarily found in areas such as Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Lincolnshire, where many small settlements bearing this name existed. Over time, as surnames became hereditary, the name Holton was adopted by families living in these locations.
While the name Holton does not appear to have any direct historical references in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it does have a connection to the medieval English landscape and settlement patterns. The name's roots reflect the topographical features of the areas where it originated.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Holton was William de Holton, who lived in Lincolnshire, England, in the late 13th century. Other notable historical figures with the name include John Holton, an English clergyman and writer who lived in the 16th century, and Sir Robert Holton, a British naval officer and explorer who served in the 17th century.
In the 18th century, Holton Boxer was a prominent English author and playwright who published several works, including the play "The Wrangling Lovers" in 1769. Additionally, Holton Wood was an American Revolutionary War soldier who fought in the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775.
Moving into the 19th century, Holton Dickson was a Scottish minister and author who wrote several religious works, including "The Union of Truth and Peace" in 1854. Holton Richardson, an American politician and lawyer, served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Indiana in the 1860s.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who bore the name Holton, showcasing its enduring presence across various fields and time periods.
People
Holton + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Holton 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
Holton: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Holton?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 926 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Holton 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 370,145 US residents.
Is Holton a common name?
We classify Holton as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,020 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Holton most popular?
The single biggest year for Holton was 2021, when 51 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Holton is about 17 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Holton a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Holton 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.