2010
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Holani
A Hawaiian surname possibly derived from the Hawaiian words hola (to go or pass) and ni (here or there).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 149 Americans carry the last name Holani. That puts it at #134,631 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,300,365 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Holani surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
149
1 in 2,300,365
Census rank
#134,631
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
130
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 130 bearers of the surname Holani in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 134631st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Holani, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 63.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (19.2%) and Hispanic (10.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Holani
The surname Holani is believed to have originated in the Pacific Islands, particularly in the Hawaiian and Samoan regions. The name likely derives from the Polynesian word "holani," which means "to be hospitable" or "to welcome."
In ancient Polynesian cultures, hospitality and welcoming visitors were highly valued virtues, and it is plausible that the name Holani was bestowed upon individuals or families who embodied these qualities. The earliest known records of the name date back to the 18th century, when European explorers and missionaries began documenting the indigenous populations of the Pacific Islands.
One of the earliest documented instances of the name Holani is found in the journals of Captain James Cook, the famous British explorer who visited the Hawaiian Islands in 1778. In his accounts, Cook mentions encountering a village chief named Holani on the island of Kauai. This suggests that the name was already well-established among the native Hawaiian population by the late 18th century.
Another notable early reference to the name can be found in the writings of the Reverend Sheldon Dibble, an American missionary who lived in the Hawaiian Islands from 1836 to 1845. Dibble's records mention a prominent Hawaiian family with the surname Holani, indicating the name's continued presence in the region throughout the 19th century.
In Samoa, the name Holani is also documented from the early 19th century onwards. One of the earliest recorded examples is Holani Tuiatua, a Samoan chief who played a significant role in the island's cultural and political affairs during the 1830s and 1840s.
Other notable individuals with the surname Holani include:
1. Holani Lolomatauafa (1847-1923), a Samoan chief and orator who was instrumental in preserving traditional Samoan culture and language.
2. Holani Kinikini (1886-1958), a Hawaiian musician and composer known for his contributions to the development of Hawaiian music.
3. Holani Peteru (1903-1984), a Samoan politician and educator who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Samoa.
4. Holani Mataele (1928-2002), a renowned Tongan artist and sculptor whose works celebrated Pacific Island culture and heritage.
5. Holani Pupungatoa (born 1976), a New Zealand rugby union player who represented Samoa at the international level.
While the name Holani has its roots in the Pacific Islands, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange. However, its origins and historical significance remain closely tied to the traditions and values of the Polynesian peoples.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Holani
Among Census respondents with the surname Holani, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 63.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (19.2%) and Hispanic (10.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Holani bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Holani surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander63.8% · 83
- Two or more races19.2% · 25
- Hispanic or Latino10.8% · 14
- White3.8% · 5
- Black or African American1.5% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Holani
Holani appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#134,631
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
+23 bearers (+21.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 17,997 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #134,631 | 130 | 0.04 | +23 bearers (+21.5%) | Up 17,997 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Holani surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #152,628 | #134,631 | 11.8% |
| Count | 107 | 130 | 21.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 8.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Holani bearers went from 107 to 130 (+21.5% change). The surname moved up 17,997 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #134,631.
FAQ
Holani surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Holani?
Name Census estimates that about 149 living Americans carry the surname Holani. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,300,365 residents.
How common is Holani?
Holani ranks #134,631 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 130 people with the surname Holani. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (149), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Holani.
Has Holani become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Holani went from 107 recorded bearers to 130. That is an increase of 23 (+21.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #134,631.
What does the Census say about the background of Holani?
Among Census respondents with the surname Holani, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 63.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (19.2%) and Hispanic (10.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Holani in the 2020 Census, accounting for 63.8% (83 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Holani appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (63.8%), Two or More Races (19.2%), Hispanic (10.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Holani (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Holani mean?
A Hawaiian surname possibly derived from the Hawaiian words hola (to go or pass) and ni (here or there). The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Holani (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Holani?
See how many people have the last name Holani on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.