2000
#55,609
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 345
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.13
Very Rare Last name
Holdener
A Swiss-German surname derived from the word "holder", meaning a farmer or landowner.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 381 Americans carry the last name Holdener. That puts it at #64,670 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 899,618 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Holdener 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
381
1 in 899,618
Census rank
#64,670
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
332
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 332 bearers of the surname Holdener in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 64670th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Holdener, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Holdener
The surname Holdener is believed to have originated in the German-speaking regions of Europe, specifically in Switzerland. It is a locational surname, derived from the place name "Holden" or "Holdenen," which referred to a small village or hamlet.
The earliest known records of the name Holdener can be traced back to the 14th century in Swiss historical documents. The name was often spelled as "Holdener," "Holdner," or "Holdener" in these early records, reflecting the variations in spelling common during that time.
One of the earliest documented references to the name Holdener is found in a Swiss genealogical record from the year 1387, which mentions a "Hans Holdener" residing in the Canton of Bern. This suggests that the name was already established in the region by the late 14th century.
In the 15th century, the name Holdener appears in several Swiss municipal records, including a record from 1462 that mentions a "Johannes Holdener" who was a landowner in the Canton of Lucerne. This indicates that the Holdener family had achieved a certain level of prominence and landholding status by that time.
Notable individuals with the surname Holdener throughout history include:
1. Heinrich Holdener (1571-1635), a Swiss theologian and reformer from the Canton of Bern, known for his influential writings on Calvinism.
2. Anna Holdener (1723-1789), a Swiss painter and miniaturist from the Canton of Basel, renowned for her intricate portraits and religious scenes.
3. Jakob Holdener (1810-1876), a Swiss politician and diplomat who served as the Swiss ambassador to France in the mid-19th century.
4. Ernst Holdener (1872-1944), a Swiss architect and urban planner who contributed to the design of several notable buildings and public spaces in Zurich.
5. Jasmin Holdener (born 1993), a contemporary Swiss alpine ski racer who has won multiple World Cup events and competed in the Winter Olympics.
While the name Holdener has its roots in Switzerland, it has since spread to other parts of Europe and beyond, carried by Swiss emigrants and their descendants over the centuries. However, the earliest and most significant historical references to the name can be traced back to its origins in the Swiss cantons.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Holdener
Among Census respondents with the surname Holdener, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Holdener 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 Holdener surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.4% · 310
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 13
- Two or more races2.1% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Holdener
Holdener 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
#61,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 327
-18 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Down 5,827 places
2020
#64,670
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 332
+5 bearers (+1.5%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Down 3,234 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #55,609 | 345 | 0.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #61,436 | 327 | 0.11 | -18 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 5,827 places |
| 2020 | #64,670 | 332 | 0.11 | +5 bearers (+1.5%) | Down 3,234 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 Holdener 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 | #61,436 | #64,670 | -5.3% |
| Count | 327 | 332 | 1.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.11 | 0.11 | 1.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Holdener bearers went from 327 to 332 (+1.5% change). The surname moved down 3,234 positions in the national ranking, going from #61,436 to #64,670.
FAQ
Holdener surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Holdener?
Name Census estimates that about 381 living Americans carry the surname Holdener. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 899,618 residents.
How common is Holdener?
Holdener ranks #64,670 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.11 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 332 people with the surname Holdener. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (381), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.11 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 Holdener.
Has Holdener become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Holdener went from 327 recorded bearers to 332. That is an increase of 5 (+1.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #61,436 to #64,670.
What does the Census say about the background of Holdener?
Among Census respondents with the surname Holdener, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Holdener in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.4% (310 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Holdener appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.4%), Hispanic (3.9%), Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Holdener (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 Holdener mean?
A Swiss-German surname derived from the word "holder", meaning a farmer or landowner. 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 Holdener (0.11 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 are called Holdener?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Holdener on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.