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

Holliday, 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 Holliday surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Holliday in America

Holliday is the 1748th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Holliday surname appeared 20,491 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 7 people would have the surname Holliday.

We can also compare 2010 data for Holliday 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 Holliday

The surname Holliday is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "halig" meaning holy, and "dæg" meaning day. It is believed to have originated as a name for someone who lived near a site or church dedicated to a religious holiday or feast day.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century in various documents and records. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Richard Holliday, who was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1272.

During the medieval period, the name was often spelled in various ways, including Halliday, Holydaye, and Hollyday. These variations reflect the different regional dialects and the evolving spelling conventions of the time.

The Holliday surname is also closely associated with certain place names in England, such as Holliday Hill in Worcestershire and Holliday Farm in Shropshire. These place names likely contributed to the adoption of the surname by people living in those areas.

Notable people throughout history with the surname Holliday include:

1. John Holliday (c. 1493 - 1555), an English churchman and scholar who served as the President of Corpus Christi College, Oxford.
2. Ben Holliday (1819 - 1887), an American entrepreneur and founder of the Overland Mail Company, which operated a stagecoach line across the American West.
3. Doc Holliday (1851 - 1887), an American gambler, gunfighter, and dentist who was involved in the famous Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona.
4. Judy Holliday (1921 - 1965), an American actress and comedian best known for her role in the film "Born Yesterday," for which she won an Academy Award.
5. Billie Holliday (1915 - 1959), an influential American jazz singer and songwriter, often referred to as "Lady Day" and renowned for her distinctive vocal style.

While the Holliday surname has its roots in England, it has since spread across the globe and can be found in various parts of the world, reflecting the migration patterns and cultural exchanges that have shaped human history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Holliday

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

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

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

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