2010
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Holesinger
A toponymic surname likely derived from a placename containing the elements "hole" and "singer".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Holesinger. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Holesinger 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Holesinger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Holesinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Black (2.8%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Holesinger
The surname HOLESINGER is believed to have originated in the German-speaking regions of Europe, most likely in the areas that are now parts of Germany, Austria, or Switzerland. Its roots can be traced back to the Middle Ages, around the 13th or 14th century.
One theory suggests that the name HOLESINGER is derived from a combination of the Old German words "hol" meaning "hollow" or "cave" and "singer" which referred to someone who sang or performed music. This could indicate that the name may have originated from an ancestor who lived in a cave or a hollow area and was known for their singing or musical abilities.
Another possibility is that the name HOLESINGER is a locational surname, derived from a specific place name. Several small villages and towns in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland have names that resemble the word "Holesingen" or similar variations. It is possible that the earliest bearers of this surname hailed from one of these places.
The earliest recorded mention of the HOLESINGER surname appears to be in a 14th-century manuscript from the region of Bavaria, where a certain "Hans Holesinger" is listed as a landowner. This suggests that the name had already been established by that time.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the HOLESINGER surname. One such person was Johann Holesinger (1495-1566), a German theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation in the city of Ulm.
Another notable figure was Maria Holesinger (1647-1718), a German composer and musician who was renowned for her skill in playing the violin and the harpsichord. Her compositions were highly regarded during her lifetime.
In the 18th century, a man named Friedrich Holesinger (1722-1799) gained recognition as a skilled clockmaker and instrument maker in the city of Nuremberg. His intricate timepieces and scientific instruments were highly sought after by collectors and royalty across Europe.
The 19th century saw the rise of a prominent German lawyer and politician named Karl Holesinger (1811-1879). He served as a member of the Frankfurt Parliament and was an advocate for constitutional reforms and civil rights.
Lastly, a famous explorer and adventurer named Wilhelm Holesinger (1857-1924) gained notoriety for his expeditions to Africa and the Middle East. His detailed accounts of his travels and encounters with various cultures and civilizations were widely published and read during his lifetime.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Holesinger
Among Census respondents with the surname Holesinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Black (2.8%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Holesinger 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 Holesinger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.4% · 104
- Black or African American2.8% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Holesinger
Holesinger appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-3 bearers (-2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,952 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.7%) | Down 2,952 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 Holesinger 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 | #147,253 | #150,205 | -2.0% |
| Count | 112 | 109 | -2.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Holesinger bearers went from 112 to 109 (-2.7% change). The surname moved down 2,952 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #150,205.
FAQ
Holesinger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Holesinger?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Holesinger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Holesinger?
Holesinger ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Holesinger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Holesinger.
Has Holesinger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Holesinger went from 112 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #147,253 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Holesinger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Holesinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Black (2.8%) and Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Holesinger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.4% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Holesinger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.4%), Black (2.8%), Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Holesinger (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 Holesinger mean?
A toponymic surname likely derived from a placename containing the elements "hole" and "singer". 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 Holesinger (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 Holesinger?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.