Find out how popular the last name Holland is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Holland.

Holland, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Holland surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Holland in America

Holland is the 305th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Holland surname appeared 102,538 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 35 people would have the surname Holland.

We can also compare 2010 data for Holland to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Holland

The surname Holland is of English origin and is derived from the Old English word "hol" meaning "hollow" or "hole" and "land" meaning "land" or "estate." It is believed that the name originally referred to someone who lived in a hollow or depression in the landscape, or near a hole or small valley.

The name can be traced back to the 13th century, with one of the earliest recorded instances being that of William de Holand, who was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1273. The Assize Rolls were legal records of criminal cases and property disputes in medieval England.

During the Middle Ages, the surname was often spelled with various variations, such as Hollond, Holond, and Holande. These spelling variations were common due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions at the time.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, which were records of taxes and financial accounts. One entry from 1379 mentions a John de Holand, who was likely a landowner or tenant in the region.

The surname gained prominence in the 15th century, with several notable individuals bearing the name. One of the most famous was John Holland, 1st Duke of Exeter (1352-1400), who was a prominent military commander and member of the English nobility during the reign of King Richard II.

Another notable figure was Philemon Holland (1552-1637), an English translator and schoolmaster who was renowned for his translations of classical works, including those of Pliny the Elder, Livy, and Xenophon.

In the 16th century, the surname was associated with the Holland family, who were prominent landowners and politicians in Lincolnshire. One member of this family was Henry Holland (1556-1625), who served as a member of parliament and was involved in the establishment of several Protestant churches.

Other notable individuals with the surname Holland include Joseph Holland (1824-1881), an English painter and illustrator known for his landscapes and genre scenes, and Phillis Holland (1919-2018), an American civil rights activist and educator who played a significant role in the desegregation of public schools in Baltimore.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Holland

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Holland.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Holland was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Holland has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Holland was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Holland, please contact us.

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