NameCensus.

UK surname

Holdbrook

An English locative surname denoting one who lived near a brook running through a holding.

In the 1881 census there were 63 people recorded with the Holdbrook surname, ranking it #24,711 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 112, ranked #28,844, down from #24,711 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Thanington, Milton Chapel, London parishes and Ealing, Chiswick. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Warrington, Tendring and Stratford-on-Avon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Holdbrook is 125 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 77.8%.

1881 census count

63

Ranked #24,711

Modern count

112

2016, ranked #28,844

Peak year

1911

125 bearers

Map years

4

1911 to 2016

Key insights

  • Holdbrook had 63 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,711 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 112 in 2016, ranked #28,844.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 125 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Holdbrook surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Holdbrook surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Holdbrook 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 83 #19,181
1861 historical 57 #26,718
1881 historical 63 #24,711
1891 historical 60 #29,204
1901 historical 99 #22,999
1911 historical 125 #19,932
1997 modern 120 #24,158
1998 modern 123 #24,449
1999 modern 120 #24,960
2000 modern 120 #24,950
2001 modern 114 #25,344
2002 modern 106 #26,985
2003 modern 105 #26,940
2004 modern 103 #27,503
2005 modern 100 #28,025
2006 modern 101 #28,125
2007 modern 104 #28,020
2008 modern 107 #27,844
2009 modern 115 #27,207
2010 modern 111 #28,509
2011 modern 103 #29,589
2012 modern 105 #29,362
2013 modern 111 #28,856
2014 modern 113 #28,779
2015 modern 112 #28,809
2016 modern 112 #28,844

Geography

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Where Holdbrooks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Thanington, Milton Chapel, London parishes, Ealing, Chiswick, Wilmslow and Hoath. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Warrington, Tendring, Stratford-on-Avon and Bolton. 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 Thanington, Milton Chapel Kent
2 London parishes London 3
3 Ealing, Chiswick Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
4 Wilmslow Cheshire
5 Hoath Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Warrington 001 Warrington
2 Tendring 014 Tendring
3 Stratford-on-Avon 008 Stratford-on-Avon
4 Bolton 028 Bolton
5 Bolton 030 Bolton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Holdbrook

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Holdbrook

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Holdbrook, 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 Holdbrook surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Holdbrook 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Holdbrook is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Holdbrook is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Holdbrook falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Holdbrook 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 Holdbrook, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Holdbrook

The surname Holdbrook is of English origin, and it first emerged in the medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. It is believed to have originated from a place name, with "hold" being an old English word meaning "hollow" or "depression" and "brook" referring to a small stream or creek. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a hollow or depression where a small brook flowed.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Holdbrook name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which mention a John de Holdbrook. This indicates that the name was already in use by the 14th century. Another early reference comes from the Hearth Tax Rolls of 1665, which list a Thomas Holdbrook residing in the village of Woodstock, Oxfordshire.

In the 16th century, a notable figure with this surname was Robert Holdbrook, a merchant and alderman who lived in the city of Bristol from around 1540 to 1607. He was involved in the city's governance and served as the Mayor of Bristol in 1585.

During the 17th century, the Holdbrook family had a presence in the county of Wiltshire. One member, William Holdbrook, was born in 1623 in the town of Marlborough and served as a clergyman and rector of the parish of Wanborough.

In the 18th century, a prominent individual named John Holdbrook (1724-1796) was a successful businessman and landowner in the county of Gloucestershire. He owned several estates and served as a Justice of the Peace.

Another notable Holdbrook was Sarah Holdbrook (1762-1842), who was a philanthropist and benefactor in the city of York. She made significant contributions to various charitable organizations and founded the Holdbrook Asylum for the Aged and Infirm in 1827.

While the Holdbrook name has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and settlement patterns. However, the earliest and most well-documented references to this surname can be traced back to its English origins, with a particular concentration in the counties of Worcestershire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, and Gloucestershire.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Holdbrook families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Holdbrook 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. Middlesex leads with 10 Holdbrooks recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.63x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 10 1.63x
Essex 9 7.42x
Cheshire 8 5.90x
Shropshire 7 13.19x
Staffordshire 7 3.38x
Derbyshire 5 5.20x
Kent 5 2.39x
Lancashire 4 0.55x
Worcestershire 4 4.99x
Glamorgan 3 2.80x
Warwickshire 1 0.65x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. West Ham in Essex leads with 9 Holdbrooks recorded in 1881 and an index of 33.61x.

Place Total Index
West Ham 9 33.61x
Pownall Fee 8 1311.48x
Eccleshall 7 886.08x
Bonsall 5 1785.71x
Chiswick 5 148.81x
Middle Hulton 4 930.23x
Cardiff St Mary 3 50.93x
Claines 3 136.36x
Paddington London 3 13.28x
Whitchurch 3 291.26x
Wrockwardine 3 256.41x
Deptford St Paul 2 12.37x
Folkestone 2 49.14x
Chislet 1 416.67x
Edmonton 1 20.20x
Leighton 1 1666.67x
Little Stanmore 1 555.56x
Warwick St Nicholas 1 87.72x
Worcester St Nicholas 1 263.16x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 4
Martha 3
Ada 2
Anne 2
Eliza 2
Sarah 2
Alice 1
Amy 1
Ann 1
Annie 1
Caroline 1
Charlotte 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Fanny 1
Hannah 1
Harry 1
Jane 1
Janet 1
Mary 1
Nellie 1
Pheobe 1
Ruth 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 4
John 4
Joseph 4
George 3
Alfred 2
Harry 2
Thomas 2
William 2
Abraham 1
Arthur 1
Charles 1
Edward 1
Enoch 1
Henry 1
Samuel 1
Thos. 1

FAQ

Holdbrook surname: questions and answers

How common was the Holdbrook surname in 1881?

In 1881, 63 people were recorded with the Holdbrook surname. That placed it at #24,711 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Holdbrook surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 112 in 2016. That gives Holdbrook a modern rank of #28,844.

What does the Holdbrook surname mean?

An English locative surname denoting one who lived near a brook running through a holding.

What does the Holdbrook map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Holdbrook 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.