2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Holdgate
A surname derived from an English placename referring to a gate or barrier keeper.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Holdgate. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Holdgate 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 Holdgate with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Holdgate in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Holdgate, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Holdgate
The surname Holdgate has its origins in England, with the earliest recorded examples dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from a place name that referred to a gate or barrier used to control the movement of livestock or people. The first part of the name, "Hold," likely comes from the Old English word "healdan," which means "to hold" or "to keep."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Worcestershire in 1273, where a John de Holdegate is mentioned. This suggests that the name may have originated in the region of Worcestershire or nearby areas. It's also possible that the name is associated with a now-lost or obscure place name that included the word "gate" or a variation of it.
In the 14th century, the name Holdgate can be found in various records, including the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where a Richard de Holdgate is mentioned in 1348. This suggests that the name had spread to other parts of England by this time.
One notable bearer of the name Holdgate was John Holdgate, a merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London, who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He is mentioned in records related to the company's activities and trade dealings.
Another individual with the surname Holdgate was Robert Holdgate, a prominent clockmaker who lived in London in the early 18th century. He was renowned for his intricate and highly accurate timepieces, some of which are still preserved in museum collections.
In the 19th century, a notable bearer of the name was William Holdgate (1798-1877), an English engraver and artist who specialized in book illustrations and worked for several prominent publishers in London.
Another individual worth mentioning is Thomas Holdgate (1854-1937), an English cricketer who played for Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club in the late 19th century and was known for his exceptional batting skills.
The surname Holdgate has also been associated with various place names throughout history, such as Holdgate Lane in Beeston, Nottinghamshire, and Holdgate Farm in Worcestershire, further reinforcing its locational origins.
While the surname Holdgate is not among the most common in England, it has persisted over the centuries and is still in use today, carrying with it a rich history and connection to the linguistic and geographical roots of the British Isles.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Holdgate
Among Census respondents with the surname Holdgate, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Holdgate 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 Holdgate surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 110
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 5
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Holdgate
Holdgate 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
#133,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
+22 bearers (+21.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 12,148 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-7 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,925 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,863 | 126 | 0.04 | +22 bearers (+21.2%) | Up 12,148 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 8,925 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 Holdgate 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 | #133,863 | #142,788 | -6.7% |
| Count | 126 | 119 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Holdgate bearers went from 126 to 119 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 8,925 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,863 to #142,788.
FAQ
Holdgate surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Holdgate?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Holdgate. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Holdgate?
Holdgate ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Holdgate. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Holdgate.
Has Holdgate become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Holdgate went from 126 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 7 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,863 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Holdgate?
Among Census respondents with the surname Holdgate, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Holdgate in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Holdgate appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Hispanic (4.2%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Holdgate (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 Holdgate mean?
A surname derived from an English placename referring to a gate or barrier keeper. 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 Holdgate (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 Americans have the surname Holdgate?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.