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

Holness, 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 Holness surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Holness in America

Holness is the 20601st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Holness surname appeared 1,286 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Holness.

We can also compare 2010 data for Holness 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 Holness

The surname HOLNESS is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "hol" meaning "hollow" or "cave," and "ness," meaning "headland" or "promontory." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a hollow or cave on a headland or coastal area.

The earliest recorded instances of the name HOLNESS can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of England, such as Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. It is possible that the name may have appeared in early medieval records or documents, although no specific references to the Domesday Book or other notable manuscripts have been found.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Holness, a landowner in the village of Holton, Yorkshire, mentioned in tax records from the year 1327. Another early record is of a William Holness, a merchant from the town of Grimsby, Lincolnshire, who was granted a trade license in 1412.

Over the centuries, the name HOLNESS has been associated with various places and localities in England, often indicating the geographic origins or residences of different family branches. For instance, the surname may have been derived from place names like Holness in Somerset or Holness Hill in Dorset.

Notable individuals with the surname HOLNESS throughout history include:

1. Richard Holness (c. 1580-1647), an English clergyman and author who served as the rector of Bawdrip in Somerset.
2. Samuel Holness (1730-1811), a British naval officer who participated in several battles during the American Revolutionary War.
3. Elizabeth Holness (1808-1892), a pioneering educator and founder of one of the earliest schools for girls in the city of Bristol, England.
4. John Holness (1866-1944), a British trade unionist and labor activist who played a significant role in the formation of the Transport and General Workers' Union.
5. Herbert Holness (1919-2003), a Jamaican-born writer, broadcaster, and activist who campaigned for racial equality and civil rights in the United Kingdom.

While the surname HOLNESS may have evolved and spread to various parts of the world over time, its origins can be traced back to the historical regions of England, where it was likely associated with specific geographic features or locations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Holness

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

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

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

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