NameCensus.

UK surname

Holden

From an English place name meaning "deep valley," or referring to someone living in a hollow or valley.

In the 1881 census there were 16,371 people recorded with the Holden surname, ranking it #236 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 17,870, ranked #338, down from #236 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Preston and Blackburn. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Blackburn with Darwen, Ribble Valley and Hyndburn.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Holden is 20,872 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 9.2%.

1881 census count

16,371

Ranked #236

Modern count

17,870

2016, ranked #338

Peak year

1911

20,872 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Holden had 16,371 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #236 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 17,870 in 2016, ranked #338.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 20,872 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Holden surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Holden surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Holden 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 9,080 #293
1861 historical 9,264 #290
1881 historical 16,371 #236
1891 historical 17,194 #236
1901 historical 19,211 #257
1911 historical 20,872 #212
1997 modern 18,067 #323
1998 modern 18,546 #327
1999 modern 18,599 #329
2000 modern 18,530 #326
2001 modern 18,137 #327
2002 modern 18,400 #329
2003 modern 17,967 #329
2004 modern 17,826 #331
2005 modern 17,522 #330
2006 modern 17,476 #331
2007 modern 17,615 #332
2008 modern 17,668 #334
2009 modern 18,041 #334
2010 modern 18,404 #333
2011 modern 18,063 #335
2012 modern 17,617 #340
2013 modern 18,137 #335
2014 modern 18,147 #338
2015 modern 17,957 #338
2016 modern 17,870 #338

Geography

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Where Holdens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Preston, Blackburn, London parishes and Bolton-le-Moors. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Blackburn with Darwen, Ribble Valley and Hyndburn. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 Preston Lancashire
3 Blackburn Lancashire
4 London parishes London 2
5 Bolton-le-Moors Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Blackburn with Darwen 009 Blackburn with Darwen
2 Ribble Valley 006 Ribble Valley
3 Blackburn with Darwen 001 Blackburn with Darwen
4 Ribble Valley 001 Ribble Valley
5 Hyndburn 002 Hyndburn

Forenames

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First names often paired with Holden

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Holden

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Holden, 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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Holden is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Holden is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Holden falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Holden is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Holden

The surname Holden is of English origin, deriving from the Old English words 'hol' meaning hollow or dell, and 'denu' meaning valley. It was a topographic name given to someone who lived in a small valley or hollow. The earliest recorded instances of this surname date back to the late 12th century.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Holden surname was Roger de Holden, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Lancashire in 1199. The name also appeared in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it was recorded as both Holdene and Holdene. This suggests that the spelling of the name was not yet standardized.

In the 13th century, the Holden family was well-established in the areas of Holden and Haslingden in Lancashire. They held estates and lands in these regions, which likely contributed to their surname's origin and evolution. The name is also associated with various place names, such as Holden Clough and Holden Wood, in the same county.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Holden surname gained prominence, and several notable individuals bore this name. One such person was John Holden (1542-1629), an English Catholic priest and martyr who was beatified in 1987. Another was Samuel Holden (1640-1719), an English merchant and philanthropist who founded Holden's Free School in London.

In the 18th century, John Holden (1730-1814) was an English industrialist and inventor who played a significant role in the development of the cotton industry. He is credited with introducing the first silk mill in Stockport, Cheshire. Later, in the 19th century, Sir Isaac Holden (1807-1897) was a prominent English industrialist and Liberal politician who served as a Member of Parliament for several constituencies.

Other notable individuals with the Holden surname include Sir Edward Holden (1885-1947), a British civil servant and diplomat who served as Governor of Kansas and Governor of Minnesota, and William Holden Hutton (1860-1930), an English novelist and essayist known for his works on the English countryside.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Holden families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Holden 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. Lancashire leads with 9,076 Holdens recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.78x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 9,076 4.78x
Yorkshire 1,449 0.91x
Sussex 729 2.70x
Staffordshire 720 1.33x
Middlesex 662 0.41x
Surrey 518 0.66x
Suffolk 302 1.55x
Cheshire 289 0.82x
Kent 281 0.51x
Derbyshire 265 1.06x
Worcestershire 229 1.10x
Warwickshire 211 0.52x
Norfolk 200 0.81x
Essex 164 0.52x
Lincolnshire 135 0.53x
Durham 110 0.23x
Hampshire 94 0.29x
Nottinghamshire 61 0.28x
Leicestershire 59 0.33x
Lanarkshire 58 0.11x
Northumberland 58 0.24x
Gloucestershire 51 0.16x
Cumberland 46 0.33x
Northamptonshire 43 0.29x
Devon 40 0.12x
Hertfordshire 39 0.35x
Ayrshire 36 0.30x
Berkshire 36 0.30x
Glamorgan 35 0.13x
Angus 34 0.23x
Isle of Man 33 1.11x
Somerset 33 0.13x
Buckinghamshire 31 0.32x
Huntingdonshire 31 0.98x
Shropshire 31 0.22x
Midlothian 29 0.14x
Bedfordshire 26 0.31x
Wiltshire 19 0.13x
Cambridgeshire 18 0.18x
Oxfordshire 18 0.18x
Channel Islands 15 0.32x
Dorset 15 0.14x
Roxburghshire 11 0.38x
Monmouthshire 10 0.09x
Denbighshire 7 0.12x
Fife 5 0.05x
Renfrewshire 5 0.04x
Royal Navy 5 0.26x
Flintshire 4 0.09x
Buteshire 3 0.31x
Cornwall 3 0.02x
Herefordshire 3 0.05x
Merionethshire 3 0.10x
Westmorland 3 0.09x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.03x
Carmarthenshire 2 0.03x
Perthshire 2 0.03x
Anglesey 1 0.04x
Argyllshire 1 0.02x
Brecknockshire 1 0.03x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.03x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.02x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.04x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Blackburn in Lancashire leads with 933 Holdens recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.47x.

Place Total Index
Blackburn 933 18.47x
Over Darwen 721 47.54x
Haslingden 350 44.52x
Preston 308 6.06x
Accrington 255 14.77x
Oldham 248 4.05x
Lower Darwen 229 91.88x
Great Bolton 211 8.39x
Habergham Eaves 193 11.12x
Manchester 184 2.15x
Spotland 175 8.29x
Little Bolton 168 6.88x
West Bromwich 164 5.30x
Liverpool 142 1.23x
North Bierley 141 16.47x
Brighton 139 2.55x
Burnley 135 8.44x
Bury 131 6.04x
Saddleworth 130 10.63x
Everton 128 2.12x
Castleton 122 6.43x
Walsall Foreign 117 4.19x
Oswaldtwistle 115 17.14x
Salford 114 2.04x
West Derby 110 1.98x
Tottington Lower End 106 11.75x
Great Little Marsden 105 12.07x
Westhoughton 90 17.76x
Aston 88 0.79x
Royton 87 14.98x
Aighton Bailey 86 94.01x
Witton 85 35.58x
Birmingham 82 0.61x
Toxteth Park 79 1.23x
Wardleworth 79 7.28x
Chorley 78 7.32x
Heap 77 7.65x
Hulme 76 1.92x
Lambeth 74 0.53x
Walmersley Cum 74 24.39x
Clitheroe 73 13.06x
Newchurch 73 4.70x
Ashton Under Lyne 68 1.64x
Rosliston 66 262.53x
Halliwell 65 9.41x
Leeds 64 0.71x
Chorlton On Medlock 63 2.09x
North Meols 62 3.34x
Livesey 60 18.00x
St Pancras London 60 0.47x
West Ham 59 0.85x
Dukinfield 58 3.55x
Kirkdale 58 1.82x
Rishton 56 25.14x
Church 55 20.51x
Tottington Higher End 55 25.45x
Lower Booths 54 15.87x
Islington London 53 0.34x
Farnworth 52 4.57x
Hunslet 52 2.10x
Widnes 50 3.65x
Great Harwood 49 14.28x
Wigan 49 1.85x
Elton 47 7.16x
Pendleton In Salford 45 1.99x
Warrington 45 2.00x
Hepworth 44 151.57x
Godalming 43 8.76x
Halifax 43 1.85x
Radcliffe 43 4.70x
Whalley 42 15.18x
Dudley 40 1.57x
Wolverhampton 40 0.96x
Higher Booths 39 11.39x
Sheffield 38 0.75x
Wednesbury 38 2.82x
Bromley London 37 1.05x
Butterworth 37 8.00x
Kensington London 37 0.42x
Bradford 36 4.05x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 1,286
Elizabeth 666
Sarah 583
Alice 439
Jane 391
Ellen 331
Ann 316
Margaret 243
Hannah 216
Emma 194
Annie 176
Martha 175
Eliza 170
Emily 152
Maria 94
Catherine 93
Harriet 93
Betty 83
Nancy 83
Clara 78
Ada 76
Isabella 72
Edith 66
Esther 64
Florence 64
Fanny 63
Agnes 62
Betsy 59
Louisa 58
Caroline 50
Lucy 50
Anne 49
Charlotte 49
Susan 45
Susannah 45
Amelia 43
Elizth. 42
Frances 42
Grace 41
Harriett 35
Kate 34
Matilda 32
Margt. 30
Rebecca 30
Rose 30
Ruth 30
Rachel 27
Ethel 24
Sophia 24
Helen 23

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 1,095
William 918
James 738
Thomas 616
George 451
Henry 344
Joseph 286
Richard 247
Robert 194
Charles 175
Edward 146
Samuel 128
Alfred 112
Arthur 108
Walter 103
Albert 101
Frederick 87
Harry 84
Wm. 58
Ralph 57
Benjamin 54
David 53
Edwin 48
Herbert 48
Edmund 40
Ernest 40
Fred 40
Thos. 39
Peter 38
Frank 35
Francis 34
Christopher 31
Lawrence 27
Isaac 25
Jonathan 25
Abraham 24
Stephen 22
Geo. 21
Moses 20
Daniel 19
Hugh 19
Roger 19
Andrew 17
Oliver 17
Jas. 16
Willie 16
Chas. 13
Philip 13
Tom 13
Alexander 12

FAQ

Holden surname: questions and answers

How common was the Holden surname in 1881?

In 1881, 16,371 people were recorded with the Holden surname. That placed it at #236 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Holden surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 17,870 in 2016. That gives Holden a modern rank of #338.

What does the Holden surname mean?

From an English place name meaning "deep valley," or referring to someone living in a hollow or valley.

What does the Holden map show?

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