2000
#11,344
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,554
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.95
Rare Last name
Holter
One who lives near or works with elder trees, derived from the Old English words "holt" and "er."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,573 Americans carry the last name Holter. That puts it at #13,063 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.75 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 133,212 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Holter 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 Holter with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.6K
1 in 133,212
Census rank
#13,063
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,244 bearers of the surname Holter in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.75 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13063rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Holter, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Holter
The surname Holter originated in Germany and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "holt," meaning "wood" or "forest," suggesting that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or worked in a wooded area.
One of the earliest known records of the Holter surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval documents from the regions of Saxony and Thuringia, dating back to the 11th century. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Holter," "Holther," and "Holtere," reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions of the time.
In the 13th century, there are references to a family with the surname Holter in the town of Goslar, located in the Harz Mountains region of Lower Saxony. This region was known for its rich mining industry, and it is possible that members of the Holter family were involved in forestry or woodworking activities related to mining operations.
One notable figure bearing the Holter surname was Johannes Holter (c. 1450-1520), a German theologian and philosopher who taught at the University of Leipzig. His works focused on logic and metaphysics, and he played a significant role in the intellectual discourse of his time.
Another individual of historical significance was Moritz Holter (1691-1766), a German architect and builder who was responsible for the construction of several churches and public buildings in the city of Kassel, including the Friedrichsplatz and the Oberneustadt Church.
In the 19th century, a prominent figure with the Holter surname was Gustav Holter (1822-1897), a Norwegian-born businessman and industrialist who made significant contributions to the development of the timber industry in Canada. He established several sawmills and played a crucial role in the economic growth of the Ottawa Valley region.
Another notable person was Harriet Holter (1870-1946), an American nurse and educator who pioneered the concept of home healthcare nursing. She founded the Visiting Nurse Service of New York and was instrumental in establishing nursing as a respected profession.
The Holter surname has also been associated with various places and geographical features. For instance, the village of Holterdorf in Germany is believed to have derived its name from the Holter family, indicating their presence and influence in the area.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Holter
Among Census respondents with the surname Holter, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Holter 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 Holter surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 2,064
- Two or more races3.4% · 77
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 53
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 24
- Black or African American0.6% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Holter
Holter 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
#12,127
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,570
+16 bearers (+0.6%)
Per 100,000 0.87
Rank movement Down 783 places
2020
#13,063
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,244
-326 bearers (-12.7%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Down 936 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,344 | 2,554 | 0.95 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,127 | 2,570 | 0.87 | +16 bearers (+0.6%) | Down 783 places |
| 2020 | #13,063 | 2,244 | 0.75 | -326 bearers (-12.7%) | Down 936 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 Holter 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 | #12,127 | #13,063 | -7.7% |
| Count | 2,570 | 2,244 | -12.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.87 | 0.75 | -13.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Holter bearers went from 2,570 to 2,244 (-12.7% change). The surname moved down 936 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,127 to #13,063.
FAQ
Holter surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Holter?
Name Census estimates that about 2,573 living Americans carry the surname Holter. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 133,212 residents.
How common is Holter?
Holter ranks #13,063 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.75 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 2,244 people with the surname Holter. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,573), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.75 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.75 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 Holter.
Has Holter become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Holter went from 2,570 recorded bearers to 2,244. That is a decrease of 326 (-12.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,127 to #13,063.
What does the Census say about the background of Holter?
Among Census respondents with the surname Holter, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.4%). 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 Holter in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (2,064 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Holter appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Two or More Races (3.4%), Hispanic (2.4%). 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 Holter (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 Holter mean?
One who lives near or works with elder trees, derived from the Old English words "holt" and "er." 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 Holter (0.75 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 Americans have the surname Holter?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.