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

Holley, 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 Holley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Holley in America

Holley is the 1163rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Holley surname appeared 30,231 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 10 people would have the surname Holley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Holley 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 Holley

The surname Holley has its origins in England, and it is believed to have been derived from the Old English word "hol," which means "hollow" or "hole." This surname likely referred to someone who lived near a hollow or a depression in the ground.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Holley can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was spelled as "Hole." This suggests that the name has been in existence for over nine centuries and was likely used to identify individuals who lived in or near a particular location with a hollow or depression.

During the medieval period, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Holle," "Holye," and "Hollay," reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling. It is worth noting that many surnames originated from place names or descriptive terms related to a person's occupation, physical characteristics, or geographical location.

One notable bearer of the Holley surname was Sir John Holley, a prominent English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in the 16th century (born c. 1520, died 1591). Another distinguished individual with this surname was Robert Holley, an English mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics (born 1622, died 1699).

In the 17th century, the Holley family established themselves in the American colonies, with records showing that Thomas Holley arrived in Virginia in 1635. One of his descendants, Alexander Holley, was a renowned inventor and industrialist who played a crucial role in the development of the Bessemer steel process (born 1804, died 1887).

Another prominent figure with the Holley surname was Sallie Holley, an American educator and activist who fought for women's rights and racial equality in the late 19th century (born 1868, died 1933). Additionally, Hoyt Holley, an American historian and author, made significant contributions to the study of Southern history and culture (born 1898, died 1981).

While the Holley surname has its roots in England, it has spread throughout the world over the centuries, with bearers of the name making their mark in various fields, including politics, science, education, and literature.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Holley

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

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 Holley 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 Holley 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 Holley was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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