Holz last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Holz

A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname referring to someone living near or in a wood or forest.

Holz, 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 Holz surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Holz in America

Holz is the 10657th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Holz surname appeared 3,002 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Holz.

We can also compare 2010 data for Holz 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 10657 9850 7.87%
Count 3,002 3,027 -0.83%
Proportion per 100k 1.02 1.12 -9.35%

The history of the last name Holz

The surname Holz is of German origin, derived from the Old High German word 'holz' meaning 'wood' or 'forest'. It is believed to have originated as an occupational name for a forester, woodcutter, or someone who lived near a wooded area.

One of the earliest records of the name Holz can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval documents from the Holy Roman Empire, dating back to the 12th century. The name was particularly prevalent in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony during this period.

In the 13th century, a notable bearer of the name was Konrad Holz, a German knight and landowner who lived in the region of Franconia. His name appears in several charters and land records from that era.

During the 16th century, the name Holz gained prominence with the rise of the German Reformation. Hans Holz (1492-1529) was a Lutheran theologian and close associate of Martin Luther, known for his influential writings and sermons during the Protestant Reformation.

Another notable figure with the surname Holz was Johann Holz (1618-1675), a German architect and master builder who is credited with designing several churches and public buildings in the Baroque style throughout Germany and Austria.

In the 19th century, the name Holz was associated with several prominent figures in the arts and sciences. Carl Holz (1801-1869) was a German painter known for his landscape and genre paintings, while Friedrich Holz (1815-1886) was a renowned German astronomer and mathematician who made significant contributions to celestial mechanics.

The name Holz has also been associated with various places and geographic features throughout Germany. For example, the village of Holzheim in Bavaria was historically known as 'Holz', while the town of Holzminden in Lower Saxony is derived from the Old German words 'holz' and 'munde', meaning 'mouth of the forest'.

While the surname Holz is predominantly found in Germany, it has also been adopted by families in other parts of Europe and beyond, as a result of migration and cultural exchange over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Holz

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

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 Holz was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 94.50% 2,837
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.33% 10
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.87% 26
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.63% 19
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.50% 45
Hispanic Origin 2.17% 65

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 Holz has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 94.50% 96.20% -1.78%
Black 0.33% 0.53% -46.51%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.87% 0.56% 43.36%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.63% 0.59% 6.56%
Two or More Races 1.50% 0.69% 73.97%
Hispanic 2.17% 1.42% 41.78%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Holz last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/holz-surname-popularity/.

"Holz last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/holz-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 December, 2024

Holz last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/holz-surname-popularity/.

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