2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Holliness
A surname derived from a place name associated with a holly tree or holly bushes.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Holliness. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Holliness 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.
Bearers in the US
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Holliness in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Holliness, the largest self-reported group is Black at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.5%) and White (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Holliness
Among Census respondents with the surname Holliness, the largest self-reported group is Black at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.5%) and White (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Holliness 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 Holliness surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American85.2% · 92
- Two or more races6.5% · 7
- White4.6% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Holliness
Holliness 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
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+17 bearers (+16.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,087 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-11 bearers (-9.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,778 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | +17 bearers (+16.7%) | Up 8,087 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-9.2%) | Down 10,778 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 Holliness 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 | #140,157 | #150,935 | -7.7% |
| Count | 119 | 108 | -9.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Holliness bearers went from 119 to 108 (-9.2% change). The surname moved down 10,778 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #150,935.
FAQ
Holliness surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Holliness?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Holliness. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Holliness?
Holliness ranks #150,935 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 108 people with the surname Holliness. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Holliness.
Has Holliness become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Holliness went from 119 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 11 (-9.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Holliness?
Among Census respondents with the surname Holliness, the largest self-reported group is Black at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.5%) and White (4.6%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Holliness in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.2% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Holliness appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (85.2%), Two or More Races (6.5%), White (4.6%). 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 Holliness (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 Holliness mean?
A surname derived from a place name associated with a holly tree or holly bushes. 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 Holliness (0.04 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 people have the last name Holliness?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Holliness on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.