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

Holly, 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 Holly surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Holly in America

Holly is the 3979th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Holly surname appeared 8,934 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Holly.

We can also compare 2010 data for Holly 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 Holly

The surname Holly is of English origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is believed to be a topographic name, derived from the Old English word 'holen,' meaning holly tree. This suggests that the name was originally given to someone who lived near a holly tree or in an area where holly trees grew abundantly.

The earliest known record of the name Holly can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Holei.' This indicates that the name was already in use during the Norman conquest of England in the 11th century. It is possible that the name was brought to England by Norman settlers, who had adopted it from the existing Anglo-Saxon population.

In the 13th century, the name was recorded in various forms, such as 'Holli,' 'Holi,' and 'Holye.' These variations reflect the different ways in which the name was spelled and pronounced in different regions of England. By the 14th century, the spelling had settled into its modern form of 'Holly.'

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was John Holly, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire in 1199. Another notable individual was William Holly, a landowner in Gloucestershire, who was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327.

The Holly surname has been associated with several notable figures throughout history, including:

1. Ralph Holly (c. 1600-1677), an English Puritan minister and author.
2. Levi Holly (1796-1853), an American surveyor and politician who served as the third Governor of Connecticut.
3. Charles Holly (1836-1904), an American architect known for designing several notable buildings in New Haven, Connecticut.
4. Buddy Holly (1936-1959), an American singer-songwriter and pioneer of rock and roll music.
5. Aidan Holly (born 1985), a British actor best known for his role in the television series 'The Tudors.'

While the surname Holly is predominantly found in England and the United States, it has also spread to other parts of the world due to migration and intermarriage. However, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in England, where it likely originated as a descriptive name for someone living near holly trees.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Holly

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

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

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

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