2010
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Holskey
A locational surname derived from a place called Holskey or a topographic name for someone living near a hollow oak tree.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Holskey. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Holskey 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.
Bearers in the US
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Holskey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Holskey, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Holskey
The surname Holskey has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "hol" meaning hollow or valley, and "skey" which was a variant of the word "shaw" meaning a small wood or grove. Thus, the name likely referred to someone who lived near a hollow or valley with a small wooded area.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire from 1189, which mention a Richard de Holeshaye. This early spelling variation highlights the transition from the original Old English words to the more modern surname form.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records, such as the Curia Regis Rolls of Berkshire in 1221, which listed a Robert de Hollesheye. The Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279 also mentioned a John de Hollesheye, indicating the widespread use of the name across different counties.
The Holskey surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest recorded was Sir John Holskey, a knight who fought alongside King Edward III in the Battle of Crécy during the Hundred Years' War in 1346.
Another prominent figure was William Holskey (1542-1612), who served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Arundel in the late 16th century and was known for his involvement in various legal disputes over land ownership.
In the 17th century, Thomas Holskey (1618-1679) was a prominent merchant and landowner in the county of Gloucestershire, known for his charitable contributions to local churches and schools.
Moving into the 18th century, Elizabeth Holskey (1725-1802) was a notable author and poet, publishing several volumes of poetry and prose that gained recognition in literary circles of the time.
Finally, in the 19th century, Sir Robert Holskey (1841-1923) was a distinguished military officer who served in the British Army during the Crimean War and later became a prominent figure in local politics, serving as the Mayor of Bristol from 1885 to 1887.
These examples showcase the long and varied history of the Holskey surname, tracing its origins from Old English words and highlighting its presence across different regions of England, as well as the notable individuals who carried this surname throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Holskey
Among Census respondents with the surname Holskey, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Holskey 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 Holskey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.2% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Holskey
Holskey appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-12 bearers (-10.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,199 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-10.2%) | Down 11,199 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 Holskey 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 | #141,140 | #152,339 | -7.9% |
| Count | 118 | 106 | -10.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Holskey bearers went from 118 to 106 (-10.2% change). The surname moved down 11,199 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #152,339.
FAQ
Holskey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Holskey?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Holskey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Holskey?
Holskey ranks #152,339 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 106 people with the surname Holskey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Holskey.
Has Holskey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Holskey went from 118 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 12 (-10.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Holskey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Holskey, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Holskey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.2% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Holskey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.2%), Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Holskey (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 Holskey mean?
A locational surname derived from a place called Holskey or a topographic name for someone living near a hollow oak tree. 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 Holskey (0.04 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 many people have the last name Holskey?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Holskey, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.