NameCensus.

UK surname

Holben

A locational surname derived from a place name in Germany.

In the 1881 census there were 62 people recorded with the Holben surname, ranking it #24,843 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 92, ranked #32,035, down from #24,843 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Wrestlingworth and St Leonard Bromley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Northamptonshire, Tendring and Chichester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Holben is 153 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 48.4%.

1881 census count

62

Ranked #24,843

Modern count

92

2016, ranked #32,035

Peak year

1911

153 bearers

Map years

3

1901 to 1998

Key insights

  • Holben had 62 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,843 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 92 in 2016, ranked #32,035.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 153 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Holben surname distribution map

The map shows where the Holben surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Holben surname density by area, 1998 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Holben over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 44 #25,328
1861 historical 95 #21,768
1881 historical 62 #24,843
1891 historical 96 #24,559
1901 historical 120 #20,545
1911 historical 153 #17,633
1997 modern 102 #26,638
1998 modern 106 #26,689
1999 modern 108 #26,602
2000 modern 104 #27,150
2001 modern 101 #27,252
2002 modern 99 #28,082
2003 modern 91 #29,121
2004 modern 98 #28,297
2005 modern 93 #29,133
2006 modern 90 #29,893
2007 modern 90 #30,228
2008 modern 93 #30,123
2009 modern 91 #30,944
2010 modern 98 #30,540
2011 modern 88 #31,801
2012 modern 91 #31,659
2013 modern 93 #31,785
2014 modern 91 #32,219
2015 modern 89 #32,325
2016 modern 92 #32,035

Geography

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Where Holbens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Wrestlingworth, St Leonard Bromley, Peterborough St John the Baptist and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Northamptonshire, Tendring, Chichester and Wellingborough. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 3
2 Wrestlingworth Bedfordshire
3 St Leonard Bromley London (East Districts)
4 Peterborough St John the Baptist Northamptonshire
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Northamptonshire 004 East Northamptonshire
2 East Northamptonshire 005 East Northamptonshire
3 Tendring 009 Tendring
4 Chichester 013 Chichester
5 Wellingborough 001 Wellingborough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Holben

These lists show first names that appear often with the Holben surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Holben

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Holben, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Holben surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Holben household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Holben is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Holben is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Holben falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Holben is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Holben, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Holben

The surname Holben is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the region of Hesse, a state in central Germany. The name is thought to be derived from the Old High German word "holde," meaning "grace" or "favor," and "bern," meaning "bear." This combination suggests that the name may have referred to someone who was considered gracious or favored, with the bear symbolizing strength and courage.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Holben can be found in the Codex Traditionum Corbeiensium, a medieval manuscript from the 9th century that documented land transactions and donations in the area around the Benedictine abbey of Corvey in present-day North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The manuscript mentions an individual named "Holdbern" who was involved in a land transfer.

During the 12th century, the name Holben appeared in several historical records from the region of Hesse. Notable mentions include a reference to a "Holdebernus de Marpurgo" (Holdebernus of Marburg) in a document from 1156 and a "Conradus Holben" (Conrad Holben) in a charter from 1182.

In the 13th century, the name Holben began to spread beyond Hesse to other parts of Germany. A "Henricus Holben" (Henry Holben) was recorded in a chronicle from Cologne in 1245, and a "Johannes Holben" (John Holben) was mentioned in a document from Nuremberg in 1287.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Holben was Hans Holbein the Younger (1497-1543), a renowned German artist and printmaker who lived during the Renaissance. He was born in Augsburg, Germany, and is best known for his portraits of prominent figures such as Henry VIII of England and Erasmus of Rotterdam.

Other notable individuals with the surname Holben include: - Friedrich Holben (1811-1866), a German poet and playwright from Saxony. - Johanna Holben (1660-1723), a German composer and organist from Thuringia. - Wilhelm Holben (1894-1978), a German botanist and plant taxonomist from Bavaria. - Karl Holben (1875-1945), a German architect and urban planner from Berlin. - Amalia Holben (1808-1885), a German novelist and children's author from Hesse.

While the surname Holben may have undergone slight variations in spelling over the centuries, such as Holdbern or Holdben, it has maintained its overall form and connection to its German origins, reflecting a rich history and cultural heritage.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Holben families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Holben surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Cambridgeshire leads with 20 Holbens recorded in 1881 and an index of 52.22x.

County Total Index
Cambridgeshire 20 52.22x
Middlesex 16 2.65x
Surrey 9 3.05x
Essex 7 5.86x
Yorkshire 5 0.83x
Durham 2 1.11x
Staffordshire 1 0.49x
Warwickshire 1 0.66x
Wiltshire 1 1.87x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bow London in Middlesex leads with 9 Holbens recorded in 1881 and an index of 116.88x.

Place Total Index
Bow London 9 116.88x
Elsworth 9 6428.57x
Lambeth 9 17.07x
Barton 7 10000.00x
Willesden 6 105.26x
Ecclesall Bierlow 5 41.02x
West Ham 5 18.97x
Harlton 2 3333.33x
South Shields 2 125.00x
Bourn 1 588.24x
Bradford On Avon 1 58.48x
Edgbaston 1 21.14x
Grays Thurrock 1 90.09x
Hampton London 1 101.01x
Sedgley 1 13.19x
Toft 1 2000.00x
Walthamstow 1 23.26x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Holben surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Elizabeth 3
Lydia 3
Catherine 2
Emma 2
Jane 2
Sarah 2
Alice 1
Ann 1
Charlotte 1
Constance 1
Eliza 1
Ellen 1
Harriett 1
Ida 1
Kiturah 1
Lucy 1
Mahala 1
Maria 1
Marian 1
Mary 1
Maud 1
Thirza 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Holben surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Arthur 6
John 5
William 4
Henry 3
Robert 3
George 2
James 2
Herbert 1
Philip 1
Richard 1
Sanders 1
Thomas 1
Wm. 1
Wm.E. 1

FAQ

Holben surname: questions and answers

How common was the Holben surname in 1881?

In 1881, 62 people were recorded with the Holben surname. That placed it at #24,843 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Holben surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 92 in 2016. That gives Holben a modern rank of #32,035.

What does the Holben surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name in Germany.

What does the Holben map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Holben bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.