2000
#11,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,639
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.98
Rare Last name
Holeman
An English occupational surname referring to a person who lived in a sunken or hollow area of land.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,807 Americans carry the last name Holeman. That puts it at #12,154 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.82 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 122,107 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Holeman 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 Holeman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.8K
1 in 122,107
Census rank
#12,154
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,448 bearers of the surname Holeman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.82 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12154th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Holeman, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.5%. The next largest groups are Black (16.8%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Holeman
The surname Holeman is of English origin, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "hol," meaning a hole or hollow, often referring to a small valley or depression in the landscape. This name likely originated as a descriptive term for someone who lived near a distinctive hollow or small valley.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Holeman can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire, dated 1273, which mentions a Richard le Holeman. This suggests that the name was already well-established in certain regions of England by the 13th century.
In the 14th century, the Holeman surname appears in various historical records, including the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, where a John Holman is listed. This variation in spelling, from Holeman to Holman, was common during this period, as standardized spelling conventions had not yet been established.
The Holeman name is also associated with several place names in England, such as Holman's Barn in Kent and Holman's Cross in Dorset. These place names likely originated from individuals bearing the Holeman surname who once lived or owned land in those areas.
One notable figure in history with the Holeman surname was Sir John Holeman (c. 1495-1573), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1539. He was a prominent figure in the city's mercantile community and played a role in the English Reformation.
Another individual of note was William Holeman (1617-1672), an English clergyman and writer who served as the rector of Bawdrip in Somerset. He was known for his religious works, including "The New Creature" and "The Resurrection Revealed."
In the 18th century, John Holeman (1720-1796) was a successful businessman and landowner in Gloucestershire, England. He was involved in the wool trade and owned several estates in the region.
Moving into the 19th century, Mary Ann Holeman (1809-1892) was a notable English philanthropist and social reformer. She dedicated her life to improving the living conditions of the poor and advocating for women's rights.
Lastly, Charles Holeman (1862-1941) was a British architect known for his work on several notable buildings, including the Corn Exchange in Leeds and the Guildhall in Cambridge.
While the Holeman surname may not be as widespread as some others, it has a rich history rooted in the English countryside, with individuals bearing this name leaving their mark across various fields throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Holeman
Among Census respondents with the surname Holeman, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.5%. The next largest groups are Black (16.8%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Holeman 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 Holeman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White72.5% · 1,776
- Black or African American16.8% · 412
- Two or more races5.1% · 125
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 91
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.3% · 32
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Holeman
Holeman 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
#11,448
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,751
+112 bearers (+4.2%)
Per 100,000 0.93
Rank movement Down 399 places
2020
#12,154
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,448
-303 bearers (-11.0%)
Per 100,000 0.82
Rank movement Down 706 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,049 | 2,639 | 0.98 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,448 | 2,751 | 0.93 | +112 bearers (+4.2%) | Down 399 places |
| 2020 | #12,154 | 2,448 | 0.82 | -303 bearers (-11.0%) | Down 706 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 Holeman 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 | #11,448 | #12,154 | -6.2% |
| Count | 2,751 | 2,448 | -11.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.93 | 0.82 | -11.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Holeman bearers went from 2,751 to 2,448 (-11.0% change). The surname moved down 706 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,448 to #12,154.
FAQ
Holeman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Holeman?
Name Census estimates that about 2,807 living Americans carry the surname Holeman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 122,107 residents.
How common is Holeman?
Holeman ranks #12,154 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.82 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,448 people with the surname Holeman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,807), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.82 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.82 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Holeman.
Has Holeman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Holeman went from 2,751 recorded bearers to 2,448. That is a decrease of 303 (-11.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,448 to #12,154.
What does the Census say about the background of Holeman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Holeman, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.5%. The next largest groups are Black (16.8%) and Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Holeman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.5% (1,776 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Holeman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (72.5%), Black (16.8%), Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Holeman (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 Holeman mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a person who lived in a sunken or hollow area of land. 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 Holeman (0.82 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 share the surname Holeman?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.