2000
#540
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 55,466
First available Census row
Per 100,000 20.56
Uncommon Last name
Holloway
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a sunken road or hollow way.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 64,218 Americans carry the last name Holloway. That puts it at #585 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 18.74 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 5,337 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Holloway 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 Holloway with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
64K
1 in 5,337
Census rank
#585
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
18.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
56K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 56,001 bearers of the surname Holloway in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 18.74 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 585th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Holloway, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.7%. The next largest groups are Black (35.1%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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).
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Holloway
Among Census respondents with the surname Holloway, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.7%. The next largest groups are Black (35.1%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Holloway 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 Holloway surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White55.7% · 31,191
- Black or African American35.1% · 19,647
- Two or more races5.0% · 2,808
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 1,754
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 305
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 296
Timeline
Historical Census data for Holloway
Holloway 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
#576
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 58,040
+2,574 bearers (+4.6%)
Per 100,000 19.68
Rank movement Down 36 places
2020
#585
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 56,001
-2,039 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 18.74
Rank movement Down 9 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #540 | 55,466 | 20.56 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #576 | 58,040 | 19.68 | +2,574 bearers (+4.6%) | Down 36 places |
| 2020 | #585 | 56,001 | 18.74 | -2,039 bearers (-3.5%) | Down 9 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 Holloway 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 | #576 | #585 | -1.6% |
| Count | 58,040 | 56,001 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 19.68 | 18.74 | -4.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Holloway bearers went from 58,040 to 56,001 (-3.5% change). The surname moved down 9 positions in the national ranking, going from #576 to #585.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Holloway
FAQ
Holloway surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Holloway?
Name Census estimates that about 64,218 living Americans carry the surname Holloway. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 5,337 residents.
How common is Holloway?
Holloway ranks #585 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 18.74 per 100,000 residents, which is about 19 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 56,001 people with the surname Holloway. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (64,218), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 18.74 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 18.74 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 19 of them to have the surname Holloway.
Has Holloway become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Holloway went from 58,040 recorded bearers to 56,001. That is a decrease of 2,039 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #576 to #585.
What does the Census say about the background of Holloway?
Among Census respondents with the surname Holloway, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.7%. The next largest groups are Black (35.1%) and Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Holloway in the 2020 Census, accounting for 55.7% (31,191 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Holloway appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (55.7%), Black (35.1%), Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Holloway (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 Holloway mean?
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a sunken road or hollow way. 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 Holloway (18.74 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 Holloway?
Want to know how many people have the surname Holloway? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.