2000
#4,105
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,989
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.96
Rare Last name
Holcombe
A habitational surname derived from any of the various places named Holcombe, meaning "deep valley" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,790 Americans carry the last name Holcombe. That puts it at #4,493 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.56 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 38,994 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Holcombe 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Holcombe with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.8K
1 in 38,994
Census rank
#4,493
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,665 bearers of the surname Holcombe in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.56 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4493rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Holcombe, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.1%. The next largest groups are Black (11.0%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Holcombe
The Holcombe surname originates from England, deriving its roots from the Old English words 'hol' meaning hollow or hole, and 'cumb' meaning a small valley. It is believed to have first emerged as a locational name, referring to individuals who resided in or near a small valley or hollow area.
The earliest recorded instance of the Holcombe surname dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as 'Holecumbe' in Somerset and Devon. This suggests that the name was already established in these regions during the 11th century.
Over the centuries, the name has undergone various spelling variations, including Holcomb, Holcombe, Holcumb, and Holcumbe. These variations reflect the regional dialects and phonetic changes that occurred in different parts of England.
One notable bearer of the Holcombe name was Sir John Holcombe (c. 1435-1505), a prominent English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire during the reigns of Edward IV and Henry VII.
Another renowned figure with this surname was Gervase Holcombe (1572-1647), an English clergyman who served as the Bishop of Bristol from 1618 to 1647. He played a significant role in the religious and political affairs of his time.
In the literary realm, Thomas Holcombe (1627-1658) was an English poet and playwright who gained recognition for his works, including the tragedy "The Vindictive Man" and several poems published posthumously.
Moving to the American colonies, Thomas Holcombe (1624-1657) was one of the earliest settlers of the Holcombe name in New England. He arrived in Massachusetts in 1630 and later settled in Windsor, Connecticut, where he became a prominent member of the community.
Another notable figure was Amasa Holcombe (1787-1875), an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States Senator from Connecticut from 1827 to 1835. He was also a prominent abolitionist and advocated for the abolition of slavery.
These examples illustrate the rich history and diverse backgrounds of individuals bearing the Holcombe surname, which has been present in various regions of England and later in the American colonies, contributing to the cultural and historical fabric of these societies.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Holcombe
Among Census respondents with the surname Holcombe, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.1%. The next largest groups are Black (11.0%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Holcombe 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 Holcombe surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.1% · 6,295
- Black or African American11.0% · 840
- Two or more races3.3% · 251
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 218
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 48
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Holcombe
Holcombe appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#4,390
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,103
+114 bearers (+1.4%)
Per 100,000 2.75
Rank movement Down 285 places
2020
#4,493
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,665
-438 bearers (-5.4%)
Per 100,000 2.56
Rank movement Down 103 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,105 | 7,989 | 2.96 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,390 | 8,103 | 2.75 | +114 bearers (+1.4%) | Down 285 places |
| 2020 | #4,493 | 7,665 | 2.56 | -438 bearers (-5.4%) | Down 103 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 Holcombe 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 | #4,390 | #4,493 | -2.3% |
| Count | 8,103 | 7,665 | -5.4% |
| Per 100K | 2.75 | 2.56 | -6.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Holcombe bearers went from 8,103 to 7,665 (-5.4% change). The surname moved down 103 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,390 to #4,493.
FAQ
Holcombe surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Holcombe?
Name Census estimates that about 8,790 living Americans carry the surname Holcombe. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 38,994 residents.
How common is Holcombe?
Holcombe ranks #4,493 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.56 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,665 people with the surname Holcombe. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,790), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.56 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.56 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Holcombe.
Has Holcombe become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Holcombe went from 8,103 recorded bearers to 7,665. That is a decrease of 438 (-5.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,390 to #4,493.
What does the Census say about the background of Holcombe?
Among Census respondents with the surname Holcombe, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.1%. The next largest groups are Black (11.0%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Holcombe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.1% (6,295 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Holcombe appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.1%), Black (11.0%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Holcombe (2000, 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 Holcombe mean?
A habitational surname derived from any of the various places named Holcombe, meaning "deep valley" in Old English. 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 Holcombe (2.56 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 Holcombe?
If you just want to know how many people are called Holcombe, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.