2000
#1,164
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 27,597
First available Census row
Per 100,000 10.23
Uncommon Last name
Hollis
From a place name meaning "holly trees" in Old English or a nickname for a person with holly-like qualities.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 31,058 Americans carry the last name Hollis. That puts it at #1,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 9.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 11,036 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hollis 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 Hollis with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
31K
1 in 11,036
Census rank
#1,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
9.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
27K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 27,084 bearers of the surname Hollis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 9.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hollis, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.7%. The next largest groups are Black (28.4%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hollis
The surname HOLLIS is of English origin, with roots traceable back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words 'hol' meaning 'hollow' and 'hyrst' meaning 'wooded hill'. The combination of these words suggests that the name initially referred to someone who lived near a hollowed-out or sunken area in a forested region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Holis" and "Holis de la Hulle". This ancient record indicates that the name was already in use during the Norman conquest of England in the 11th century.
The HOLLIS surname is often associated with various place names in England, such as Hollis Hill in Devon and Hollish in Dorset. The spellings of these place names have evolved over time, reflecting the fluidity of language and the influence of local dialects.
In the 13th century, a notable individual named Walter de Hollis was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire. This record provides an early glimpse into the historical presence of the HOLLIS name in English society.
During the 16th century, a prominent figure named John Hollis (1564-1637) served as the Lord Mayor of London. His tenure as the city's chief magistrate from 1611 to 1612 further solidified the HOLLIS name's significance in England's history.
Another notable bearer of the HOLLIS surname was Denzil Hollis (1598-1680), an English lawyer and Member of Parliament. He played an influential role during the turbulent period of the English Civil War, aligning himself with the Parliamentarian cause against the monarchy.
In the realm of literature, the English poet Thomas Hollis (1720-1774) gained recognition for his advocacy of liberty and his translations of ancient Greek and Latin works. His literary contributions left a lasting impact on the intellectual landscape of the 18th century.
The HOLLIS name has also been associated with various military figures, such as Sir Roger Hollis (1905-1973), a British intelligence officer who served as the Director-General of MI5, the United Kingdom's domestic security service, from 1956 to 1965.
Throughout its history, the HOLLIS surname has maintained a strong presence across England, with various branches and families contributing to the rich tapestry of the nation's heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hollis
Among Census respondents with the surname Hollis, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.7%. The next largest groups are Black (28.4%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Hollis 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 Hollis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White62.7% · 16,977
- Black or African American28.4% · 7,689
- Two or more races4.8% · 1,287
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 860
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 153
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 118
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hollis
Hollis 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
#1,233
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 28,617
+1,020 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 9.70
Rank movement Down 69 places
2020
#1,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 27,084
-1,533 bearers (-5.4%)
Per 100,000 9.06
Rank movement Down 37 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,164 | 27,597 | 10.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,233 | 28,617 | 9.70 | +1,020 bearers (+3.7%) | Down 69 places |
| 2020 | #1,270 | 27,084 | 9.06 | -1,533 bearers (-5.4%) | Down 37 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 Hollis 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 | #1,233 | #1,270 | -3.0% |
| Count | 28,617 | 27,084 | -5.4% |
| Per 100K | 9.70 | 9.06 | -6.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hollis bearers went from 28,617 to 27,084 (-5.4% change). The surname moved down 37 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,233 to #1,270.
FAQ
Hollis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hollis?
Name Census estimates that about 31,058 living Americans carry the surname Hollis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 11,036 residents.
How common is Hollis?
Hollis ranks #1,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 9.06 per 100,000 residents, which is about 9 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 27,084 people with the surname Hollis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (31,058), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 9.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 9.06 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 9 of them to have the surname Hollis.
Has Hollis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hollis went from 28,617 recorded bearers to 27,084. That is a decrease of 1,533 (-5.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,233 to #1,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Hollis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hollis, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.7%. The next largest groups are Black (28.4%) and Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Hollis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 62.7% (16,977 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hollis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (62.7%), Black (28.4%), Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Hollis (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 Hollis mean?
From a place name meaning "holly trees" in Old English or a nickname for a person with holly-like qualities. 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 Hollis (9.06 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 common is the surname Hollis?
Find out how common the surname Hollis is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.