2000
#276
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 99,885
First available Census row
Per 100,000 37.03
Common Last name
Holland
An English toponymic surname indicating a person from the region of Holland in the Netherlands or in England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 111,807 Americans carry the last name Holland. That puts it at #319 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 32.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,066 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Holland 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 Holland with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
112K
1 in 3,066
Census rank
#319
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
32.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
98K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 97,501 bearers of the surname Holland in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 32.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 319th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Holland, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.9%. The next largest groups are Black (17.1%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Holland
Among Census respondents with the surname Holland, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.9%. The next largest groups are Black (17.1%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Holland 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 Holland surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.9% · 72,070
- Black or African American17.1% · 16,656
- Two or more races4.4% · 4,336
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 3,267
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 647
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 525
Timeline
Historical Census data for Holland
Holland 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
#305
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102,538
+2,653 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 34.76
Rank movement Down 29 places
2020
#319
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 97,501
-5,037 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 32.62
Rank movement Down 14 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #276 | 99,885 | 37.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #305 | 102,538 | 34.76 | +2,653 bearers (+2.7%) | Down 29 places |
| 2020 | #319 | 97,501 | 32.62 | -5,037 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 14 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 Holland 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 | #305 | #319 | -4.6% |
| Count | 102,538 | 97,501 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 34.76 | 32.62 | -6.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Holland bearers went from 102,538 to 97,501 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 14 positions in the national ranking, going from #305 to #319.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Holland
FAQ
Holland surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Holland?
Name Census estimates that about 111,807 living Americans carry the surname Holland. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,066 residents.
How common is Holland?
Holland ranks #319 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 32.62 per 100,000 residents, which is about 33 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 97,501 people with the surname Holland. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (111,807), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 32.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 32.62 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 33 of them to have the surname Holland.
Has Holland become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Holland went from 102,538 recorded bearers to 97,501. That is a decrease of 5,037 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #305 to #319.
What does the Census say about the background of Holland?
Among Census respondents with the surname Holland, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.9%. The next largest groups are Black (17.1%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Holland in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.9% (72,070 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Holland appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.9%), Black (17.1%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Holland (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 Holland mean?
An English toponymic surname indicating a person from the region of Holland in the Netherlands or in England. 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 Holland (32.62 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 Holland?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.