2000
#30,352
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 727
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.27
Very Rare Last name
Holdman
A surname derived from an occupation or title, potentially referring to a landholder or a bailiff.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 937 Americans carry the last name Holdman. That puts it at #30,578 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.27 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 365,800 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Holdman 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
937
1 in 365,800
Census rank
#30,578
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
817
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 817 bearers of the surname Holdman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.27 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 30578th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Holdman, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.1%. The next largest groups are Black (24.2%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Holdman
The surname Holdman has its origins in England, with records indicating its existence as early as the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "hold" and "mann," which together translate to "a man who holds or occupies land or property." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name were likely landowners or tenants in medieval England.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Holdman surname can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, a census-like record of landowners and tenants in various English counties. The name appears as "Holdemanne" in this document, providing evidence of its early usage.
During the late 13th and early 14th centuries, variations of the name, such as "Holdeman" and "Holdman," began appearing in various parish records and legal documents across different parts of England, particularly in the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex.
In the 15th century, the surname Holdman gained some prominence with the birth of Sir John Holdman (c. 1420 - 1487), a prominent landowner and member of the gentry in Norfolk. Sir John's descendants continued to hold significant estates in the region for several generations.
Another notable figure bearing this surname was William Holdman (1571 - 1635), a respected scholar and theologian who served as the rector of St. Peter's Church in Nottingham during the early 17th century. His writings on religious matters were widely read and influential during his lifetime.
In the 18th century, the Holdman family established itself in the county of Gloucestershire, where they owned several estates and properties. One of the most notable members of this branch was Richard Holdman (1746 - 1824), a wealthy landowner and philanthropist who funded the construction of several schools and churches in the region.
The 19th century saw the Holdman surname spread further across Britain and even to other parts of the world. One prominent individual was Edward Holdman (1828 - 1902), a successful businessman and industrialist who established several factories in Manchester and played a significant role in the city's economic growth during the Industrial Revolution.
As the centuries progressed, the Holdman surname continued to be associated with various notable individuals, including authors, artists, and professionals in various fields, further solidifying its place in the historical records of England and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Holdman
Among Census respondents with the surname Holdman, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.1%. The next largest groups are Black (24.2%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Holdman 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 Holdman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White67.1% · 548
- Black or African American24.2% · 198
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 28
- Two or more races3.3% · 27
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Holdman
Holdman 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
#38,801
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 569
-158 bearers (-21.7%)
Per 100,000 0.19
Rank movement Down 8,449 places
2020
#30,578
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 817
+248 bearers (+43.6%)
Per 100,000 0.27
Rank movement Up 8,223 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #30,352 | 727 | 0.27 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #38,801 | 569 | 0.19 | -158 bearers (-21.7%) | Down 8,449 places |
| 2020 | #30,578 | 817 | 0.27 | +248 bearers (+43.6%) | Up 8,223 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 Holdman 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 | #38,801 | #30,578 | 21.2% |
| Count | 569 | 817 | 43.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.19 | 0.27 | 43.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Holdman bearers went from 569 to 817 (+43.6% change). The surname moved up 8,223 positions in the national ranking, going from #38,801 to #30,578.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Holdman
FAQ
Holdman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Holdman?
Name Census estimates that about 937 living Americans carry the surname Holdman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 365,800 residents.
How common is Holdman?
Holdman ranks #30,578 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.27 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 817 people with the surname Holdman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (937), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.27 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.27 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 Holdman.
Has Holdman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Holdman went from 569 recorded bearers to 817. That is an increase of 248 (+43.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #38,801 to #30,578.
What does the Census say about the background of Holdman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Holdman, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.1%. The next largest groups are Black (24.2%) and Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Holdman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 67.1% (548 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Holdman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (67.1%), Black (24.2%), Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Holdman (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 Holdman mean?
A surname derived from an occupation or title, potentially referring to a landholder or a bailiff. 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 Holdman (0.27 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 Holdman?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Holdman on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.