2000
#7,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,884
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.44
Rare Last name
Holston
A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "holly stone" or "holly tree rock" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,501 Americans carry the last name Holston. That puts it at #8,083 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.31 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 76,151 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Holston 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
4.5K
1 in 76,151
Census rank
#8,083
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,925 bearers of the surname Holston in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.31 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8083rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Holston, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.1%. The next largest groups are Black (42.5%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Holston
The surname HOLSTON has its origins in England, dating back to the 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "hol" meaning hollow or depression, and "tun" meaning town or settlement. This suggests that the name initially referred to someone who lived in a settlement located in a hollow or valley.
The earliest recorded instance of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, England, from 1327, where a Thomas de Holstone is mentioned. This spelling variation, "Holstone," highlights the evolution of the name over time.
During the 15th century, the name appeared in various historical records across different regions of England, such as the Feet of Fines for Suffolk in 1446, where a Robert Holston is referenced. This indicates that the name had spread and was present in multiple counties.
In the 16th century, the HOLSTON surname gained prominence with the birth of Sir William Holston (1502-1573), a prominent English merchant and Member of Parliament. He was known for his involvement in the wool trade and his philanthropic efforts in the city of London.
Another notable figure with the HOLSTON surname was John Holston (1620-1678), a Puritan minister and author who played a significant role in the religious life of colonial New England. His published works, including sermons and theological treatises, were widely read and influential during his time.
In the 18th century, the HOLSTON name appeared in the parish records of Gloucestershire, where a Thomas Holston (1712-1789) was listed as a local landowner and farmer. This provides evidence of the surname's continued presence in various parts of England over the centuries.
The name HOLSTON is also associated with several place names in England, such as Holston Hill in Derbyshire and Holston Brook in Wiltshire. These geographical locations likely derived their names from the surname, further solidifying its deep roots in the country's history.
Throughout its long history, the HOLSTON surname has been recorded in various spellings, including Holstone, Holstun, Holstoun, and Houlston, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Holston
Among Census respondents with the surname Holston, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.1%. The next largest groups are Black (42.5%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Holston 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 Holston surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White48.1% · 1,888
- Black or African American42.5% · 1,670
- Two or more races4.8% · 190
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 136
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 25
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Holston
Holston 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
#7,827
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,231
+347 bearers (+8.9%)
Per 100,000 1.43
Rank movement Up 81 places
2020
#8,083
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,925
-306 bearers (-7.2%)
Per 100,000 1.31
Rank movement Down 256 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,908 | 3,884 | 1.44 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,827 | 4,231 | 1.43 | +347 bearers (+8.9%) | Up 81 places |
| 2020 | #8,083 | 3,925 | 1.31 | -306 bearers (-7.2%) | Down 256 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 Holston 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 | #7,827 | #8,083 | -3.3% |
| Count | 4,231 | 3,925 | -7.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.43 | 1.31 | -8.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Holston bearers went from 4,231 to 3,925 (-7.2% change). The surname moved down 256 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,827 to #8,083.
FAQ
Holston surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Holston?
Name Census estimates that about 4,501 living Americans carry the surname Holston. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 76,151 residents.
How common is Holston?
Holston ranks #8,083 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.31 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,925 people with the surname Holston. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,501), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.31 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.31 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Holston.
Has Holston become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Holston went from 4,231 recorded bearers to 3,925. That is a decrease of 306 (-7.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,827 to #8,083.
What does the Census say about the background of Holston?
Among Census respondents with the surname Holston, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.1%. The next largest groups are Black (42.5%) and Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Holston in the 2020 Census, accounting for 48.1% (1,888 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Holston appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (48.1%), Black (42.5%), Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Holston (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 Holston mean?
A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "holly stone" or "holly tree rock" in Old English. 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 Holston (1.31 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 are called Holston?
See how many Americans have the surname Holston on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.