2000
#9,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,179
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.18
Rare Last name
Holl
Derived from Middle English "hol," referring to someone who lived in or near a hollow or valley.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,540 Americans carry the last name Holl. That puts it at #13,208 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.74 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 134,943 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Holl 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 Holl with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.5K
1 in 134,943
Census rank
#13,208
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,215 bearers of the surname Holl in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.74 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13208th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Holl, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Black (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Holl
The surname HOLL has its origins in Germany and dates back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "holle" or "holl", which means "small hill" or "hollow". This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name likely resided near a small hill or a hollow area.
The name HOLL can be found in various historical records, including the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of medieval documents from the region of Saxony in Germany. One of the earliest recorded instances of this surname dates back to 1285, when a certain "Henricus de Holl" was mentioned in this codex.
Another notable historical reference to the HOLL surname is found in the Nuremberg Chronicle, a 15th-century world history book published in 1493. This book contains a mention of a certain "Johannes Holl", who was a prominent figure in the city of Nuremberg during that time period.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname HOLL was Johann Holl, a German painter and engraver born in Augsburg in 1512. He was renowned for his intricate woodcut designs and his contributions to the art of printmaking.
In the 16th century, a notable bearer of the HOLL surname was Hans Holl, a German composer and organist who lived from 1564 to 1635. He was particularly known for his sacred music compositions and his work as the organist at the Basilica of St. Ulrich and Afra in Augsburg.
During the 17th century, a prominent figure with the HOLL surname was Gottfried Holl, a German architect and urban planner born in 1632. He is best known for his work on the reconstruction of the city of Dresden after the devastating fires of 1685 and 1687.
Another significant individual with the HOLL surname was Johann Michael Holl, a German painter and etcher who lived from 1745 to 1826. He was renowned for his religious paintings and his work as a court painter for the Elector of Bavaria.
In the 19th century, a notable bearer of the HOLL surname was Friedrich Holl, a German painter and illustrator born in 1839. He was particularly known for his historical and genre paintings, as well as his illustrations for various books and publications.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Holl
Among Census respondents with the surname Holl, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Black (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Holl 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 Holl surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.5% · 1,961
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 98
- Black or African American2.8% · 62
- Two or more races2.8% · 62
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 29
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Holl
Holl 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
#11,685
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,682
-497 bearers (-15.6%)
Per 100,000 0.91
Rank movement Down 2,290 places
2020
#13,208
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,215
-467 bearers (-17.4%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Down 1,523 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,395 | 3,179 | 1.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,685 | 2,682 | 0.91 | -497 bearers (-15.6%) | Down 2,290 places |
| 2020 | #13,208 | 2,215 | 0.74 | -467 bearers (-17.4%) | Down 1,523 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 Holl 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 | #11,685 | #13,208 | -13.0% |
| Count | 2,682 | 2,215 | -17.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.91 | 0.74 | -18.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Holl bearers went from 2,682 to 2,215 (-17.4% change). The surname moved down 1,523 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,685 to #13,208.
FAQ
Holl surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Holl?
Name Census estimates that about 2,540 living Americans carry the surname Holl. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 134,943 residents.
How common is Holl?
Holl ranks #13,208 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.74 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 2,215 people with the surname Holl. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,540), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.74 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.74 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 Holl.
Has Holl become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Holl went from 2,682 recorded bearers to 2,215. That is a decrease of 467 (-17.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,685 to #13,208.
What does the Census say about the background of Holl?
Among Census respondents with the surname Holl, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Black (2.8%). 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 Holl in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (1,961 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Holl appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.5%), Hispanic (4.4%), Black (2.8%). 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 Holl (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 Holl mean?
Derived from Middle English "hol," referring to someone who lived in or near a hollow or valley. 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 Holl (0.74 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 Holl?
Find out how many people are called Holl on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.