Find out how popular the last name Holcomb is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Holcomb.

Holcomb, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Holcomb surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Holcomb in America

Holcomb is the 1227th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Holcomb surname appeared 28,852 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 10 people would have the surname Holcomb.

We can also compare 2010 data for Holcomb to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Holcomb

The surname Holcomb is of English origin, originating in the region of Devonshire during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "hol" meaning hollow or valley, and "cumb" meaning a deep valley or hollow between hills.

The name was likely given to someone who lived in or near such a geographical feature. In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are several entries for places with similar names like "Holecumbe" and "Holcombe".

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname is in the Pipe Rolls of Devonshire from 1194, where a William de Holecumbe is listed as a landowner. In the 13th century, there are records of a John de Holcombe, whose descendants are believed to have adopted the surname Holcomb.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various spellings such as "Holcomb", "Holcombe", and "Holcumb". During this time, a notable figure named William Holcomb (c. 1330-1395) was a wealthy merchant and landowner in the town of Tiverton, Devonshire.

Another prominent individual with the surname was Sir Thomas Holcomb (c. 1460-1525), a member of the English gentry and a Member of Parliament for Somerset in the early 16th century.

In the 17th century, the Holcomb family had established itself in various parts of England, with branches in Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Wiltshire. One notable member from this period was Captain John Holcomb (c. 1620-1690), an English navigator and explorer who sailed to the West Indies and the American colonies.

As the centuries passed, the surname spread across the English-speaking world, with descendants of the Holcomb family settling in places like the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Some other notable individuals with the surname include:

1. Amasa Holcomb (1787-1875), an American lawyer and politician from New York.
2. Henry Holcomb (1765-1836), an American soldier who fought in the Revolutionary War.
3. William Holcomb (1804-1870), an American politician and businessman from Indiana.
4. Emily Holcomb (1852-1932), an American educator and advocate for women's rights.
5. Milton Holcomb (1889-1975), an American artist and illustrator known for his Western-themed paintings.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Holcomb

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Holcomb.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Holcomb was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Holcomb has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Holcomb was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Holcomb, please contact us.

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