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

Holliness, 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 Holliness surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Holliness in America

Holliness is the 140157th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Holliness surname appeared 119 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Holliness.

We can also compare 2010 data for Holliness 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 Holliness

The surname HOLLINESS originated in the English counties of Somerset and Gloucestershire during the early 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words 'hol' meaning hollow or deep valley, and 'ness' referring to a promontory or headland. The name likely referred to someone who lived in a hollow or valley near a headland or prominent hill.

One of the earliest recorded spellings of the name dates back to 1273 in the Hundred Rolls of Somerset, where it appears as 'Godfrey de Holnesse'. Other early variations include 'Hollenesse' in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327, and 'Hollynesse' in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1402.

The HOLLINESS name can be found in several historical records and manuscripts from medieval times. For instance, a John HOLLINESS is mentioned in the Friary Rolls of Yorkshire in 1439. Additionally, the name appears in the Hearth Tax Rolls of Somerset from 1662, suggesting the family's longstanding presence in that region.

Notable individuals bearing the HOLLINESS surname include William HOLLINESS, a prominent merchant from Bristol who lived from 1564 to 1632. He was involved in the city's thriving wool and cloth trade. Another figure was Sir Thomas HOLLINESS (1678-1752), a member of Parliament for Somerset and a respected landowner.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the HOLLINESS family established themselves in various parts of southern England, particularly in the counties of Somerset, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire. Some branches of the family also settled in the nearby county of Dorset, where a Richard HOLLINESS (1592-1659) was a respected landowner and local magistrate.

In the 18th century, the HOLLINESS name gained prominence in the city of London, where several members of the family became successful merchants and bankers. One such individual was Samuel HOLLINESS (1724-1802), a wealthy banker and philanthropist who donated generously to various charitable causes.

Throughout its history, the HOLLINESS surname has been associated with rural areas and agricultural communities, as well as with the mercantile and financial sectors in larger cities like Bristol and London. The name's origins can be traced back to the distinctive geographical features of southwestern England, reflecting the region's rich linguistic heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Holliness

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!