Holyn
A unique name possibly deriving from the word "holy".
Name Census estimates that about 24 living Americans carry the first name Holyn. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Holyn today is around 17 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Holyn births was 2005 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Holyn. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Holyn. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
24
~ 1 in 14,281,431 Americans
Peak year
2005
8 babies that year
Average age
17
years old
2020 SSA rank
#16,017
Tracked since 2005
Popularity
Holyn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Holyn from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 19 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Holyn 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 Holyn 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 Holyn
The name Holyn is of Old English origin, derived from the word "holen," which means "holly bush." It is believed to have originated in the 7th or 8th century CE in the Anglo-Saxon regions of what is now England.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Holyn can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "Holinus," likely referring to a person living near a holly bush or grove.
During the Middle Ages, the name Holyn gained popularity among religious figures and scholars. One notable bearer of the name was Holyn of Bury St. Edmunds (1200-1265), a Benedictine monk and chronicler who wrote extensively about the history of his abbey.
In the 16th century, Holyn Blount (1518-1551) was a prominent English courtier and member of the Privy Council during the reign of King Henry VIII. He played a significant role in the dissolution of the monasteries and the establishment of the Church of England.
Another historical figure with the name Holyn was Holyn Harington (1561-1612), an English soldier and explorer who served in the Netherlands and took part in the early colonization efforts in Virginia, USA.
During the Renaissance period, the name Holyn was often associated with artists and intellectuals. Holyn Holbein (1497-1543) was a German painter and printmaker renowned for his portraits of European royalty and influential figures of the time.
In more recent centuries, the name Holyn has been less common, but it has continued to be used occasionally. Holyn Caulfield (1922-2005) was an American actress and singer who appeared in several Broadway musicals and television shows in the mid-20th century.
While the name Holyn may not be as widely recognized today, its historical roots and associations with various cultures and notable individuals throughout the ages make it a unique and intriguing name with a rich heritage.
People
Holyn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Holyn 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
Holyn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Holyn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 24 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Holyn 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 Holyn a common name?
We classify Holyn 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, 24 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Holyn most popular?
The single biggest year for Holyn was 2005, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Holyn is about 17 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Holyn a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Holyn in the SSA data are female. 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.