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

Holloway, 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 Holloway surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Holloway in America

Holloway is the 576th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Holloway surname appeared 58,040 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 20 people would have the surname Holloway.

We can also compare 2010 data for Holloway 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 Holloway

The surname Holloway is of English origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from various places named Holloway, which means "hollow way" or "sunken road." The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Holloweia" and "Holanweia."

The name is believed to have originated from the Old English words "hol" meaning "hollow" and "weg" meaning "way" or "path." These were likely referring to the sunken paths or roads that led through valleys or low-lying areas. The name was initially given to those who lived near or by such paths or roads.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname was Roger de Holawey, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire in 1199. Another early bearer of the name was William de Holewey, who was recorded in the Assize Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1260.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various spellings, such as Holleway, Holoway, and Holwey. One notable individual from this period was John Holwey, who was born in 1340 and served as a member of the Parliament of England in 1377.

During the 15th century, the surname began to take on its modern spelling of Holloway. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this spelling was Thomas Holloway, who was born in 1420 and served as a member of the Privy Council of England under King Henry VI.

In the 16th century, the name became more widespread, and several notable individuals emerged. One of the most famous was John Holloway, a celebrated English theologian and author who was born in 1501 and wrote several influential works on religious topics.

Another notable bearer of the name was Sir Richard Holloway, who was born in 1550 and served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1599. He was also a prominent merchant and philanthropist, known for his contributions to the city's infrastructure and charitable organizations.

As the surname spread across England, it was also associated with various place names, such as Holloway in London, Holloway in Derbyshire, and Holloway in Worcestershire. These places likely derived their names from the same Old English roots as the surname.

Throughout history, the Holloway surname has been carried by various individuals from different walks of life, including scholars, politicians, writers, and artists. Some other notable bearers of the name include the poet Thomas Holloway (1800-1835), the author and critic John Holloway (1920-1999), and the English composer and musician Robin Holloway (born 1943).

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Holloway

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

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

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

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