NameCensus.

UK surname

Holder

An occupational surname for a tenant or owner of land or dwellings.

In the 1881 census there were 4,029 people recorded with the Holder surname, ranking it #1,121 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 6,751, ranked #999, up from #1,121 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, London parishes and Cheltenham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Forest of Dean, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Holder is 7,114 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 67.6%.

1881 census count

4,029

Ranked #1,121

Modern count

6,751

2016, ranked #999

Peak year

1999

7,114 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Holder had 4,029 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,121 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 6,751 in 2016, ranked #999.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 5,739 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Holder surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Holder surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Holder 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 3,061 #944
1861 historical 3,272 #874
1881 historical 4,029 #1,121
1891 historical 4,921 #948
1901 historical 5,331 #1,058
1911 historical 5,739 #911
1997 modern 6,734 #967
1998 modern 7,014 #963
1999 modern 7,114 #960
2000 modern 7,041 #962
2001 modern 6,859 #970
2002 modern 6,995 #970
2003 modern 6,794 #972
2004 modern 6,790 #976
2005 modern 6,619 #992
2006 modern 6,600 #995
2007 modern 6,628 #1,001
2008 modern 6,653 #999
2009 modern 6,846 #996
2010 modern 6,942 #999
2011 modern 6,892 #993
2012 modern 6,750 #991
2013 modern 6,913 #987
2014 modern 6,906 #995
2015 modern 6,810 #994
2016 modern 6,751 #999

Geography

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Where Holders are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, London parishes, Cheltenham and Stroud, Whaddon, Longney, Brookthorpe, Harescombe, Haresfield, Standish, Moreton Valence, Saul, Fret. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Forest of Dean, Cheltenham, Tewkesbury, Hinckley and Bosworth and North Devon. 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 Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet, Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Cheltenham Gloucestershire
5 Stroud, Whaddon, Longney, Brookthorpe, Harescombe, Haresfield, Standish, Moreton Valence, Saul, Fret Gloucestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Forest of Dean 004 Forest of Dean
2 Cheltenham 005 Cheltenham
3 Tewkesbury 005 Tewkesbury
4 Hinckley and Bosworth 006 Hinckley and Bosworth
5 North Devon 005 North Devon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Holder

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Holder

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

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Holder is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Holder is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

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

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Holder falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Holder

The surname HOLDER is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "healdere," meaning "one who holds" or "keeps." It likely emerged as an occupational surname for someone who held a position of responsibility, such as a bailiff, steward, or estate manager.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname date back to the 13th century, with the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 mentioning a Reginald le Holdere in Oxfordshire. The Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327 also list a John le Holder.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various spellings, including Holdere, Holdare, and Holdor, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling at the time. The Pipe Rolls of 1381 record a John Holder in Gloucestershire.

During the Middle Ages, the surname was often associated with manorial estates and landholdings. In the 15th century, the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk mentioned a John Holder, while the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire listed a Thomas Holder in 1524.

Notable individuals with the surname HOLDER include Sir John Holder (1616-1695), an English merchant and landowner in Barbados, who played a significant role in the establishment of the British sugar industry in the Caribbean. William Holder (1616-1698) was a renowned English musician, composer, and writer on music theory.

In the 18th century, Christopher Holder (1701-1759) was a prominent English Quaker minister and author, while Charles Holder (1770-1853) was a British Army officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and later became Governor of Grenada.

The 19th century saw the rise of James Holder (1808-1904), a British engineer and inventor who developed important improvements in the design and construction of steam engines and locomotives.

Throughout its history, the surname HOLDER has been associated with various occupations, from landowners and estate managers to merchants, soldiers, and inventors, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and roles of those who bore this name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Holder families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Holder 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. Gloucestershire leads with 701 Holders recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.10x.

County Total Index
Gloucestershire 701 9.10x
Middlesex 441 1.12x
Sussex 332 5.01x
Surrey 298 1.56x
Yorkshire 294 0.76x
Warwickshire 262 2.65x
Kent 199 1.49x
Staffordshire 174 1.31x
Worcestershire 138 2.69x
Berkshire 120 4.07x
Somerset 106 1.68x
Wiltshire 97 2.79x
Herefordshire 94 5.84x
Hampshire 92 1.14x
Lancashire 90 0.19x
Suffolk 87 1.82x
Durham 76 0.65x
Cambridgeshire 67 2.69x
Essex 57 0.74x
Oxfordshire 36 1.48x
Monmouthshire 33 1.16x
Hertfordshire 28 1.03x
Cheshire 18 0.21x
Derbyshire 18 0.29x
Cornwall 15 0.34x
Shropshire 14 0.41x
Westmorland 13 1.51x
Midlothian 12 0.23x
Brecknockshire 11 1.40x
Buckinghamshire 11 0.46x
Glamorgan 11 0.16x
Bedfordshire 10 0.49x
Channel Islands 9 0.77x
Devon 9 0.11x
Leicestershire 9 0.21x
Northumberland 7 0.12x
Lincolnshire 6 0.10x
Flintshire 5 0.47x
Northamptonshire 5 0.14x
Lanarkshire 3 0.02x
Royal Navy 3 0.64x
Anglesey 2 0.29x
Angus 2 0.06x
Cumberland 2 0.06x
Dorset 2 0.08x
Norfolk 2 0.03x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.06x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.12x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.13x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.02x
Stirlingshire 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 140 Holders recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.24x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 140 4.24x
Aston 92 3.37x
Cheltenham 58 9.76x
Brighton 55 4.12x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 43 30.51x
Chatham 42 11.39x
St Pancras London 37 1.17x
Islington London 35 0.92x
Paddington London 35 2.42x
St Marylebone London 35 1.67x
Lambeth 34 0.99x
Hackney London 33 1.50x
Frampton Cotterell 30 110.99x
Holy Trinity 30 3.20x
Tewkesbury 30 43.64x
North Wraxall 29 473.86x
Camberwell 26 1.04x
Colerne 26 182.58x
Pontefract 26 31.02x
St Andrewthe Less 26 9.15x
Ifield 25 90.55x
Randwick 25 164.69x
Darlaston 24 13.10x
Bermondsey 23 1.97x
Clifton 23 5.91x
Croydon 23 2.17x
Flaxley 23 133.02x
Walsall Foreign 23 3.36x
Battersea 22 1.52x
Leckhampton 21 44.25x
Portsea 20 1.27x
Stroud 20 13.34x
Toxteth Park 20 1.27x
Walcot 20 5.94x
Mile End Old Town London 19 2.27x
Uley 19 135.14x
Wolverhampton 19 1.86x
Bishops Cleeve 18 92.17x
Stoke Upon Trent 18 1.28x
Bethnal Green London 17 1.00x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 17 2.34x
Gateshead 17 1.94x
Marshfield 17 82.60x
Newington 17 1.17x
Reigate Foreign 17 8.20x
Scarborough 17 4.81x
Shoreditch London 17 1.00x
Upton St Leonards 17 86.91x
Deptford St Paul 16 1.55x
Handsworth 16 4.90x
Hornsey 16 3.22x
Iping 16 226.63x
Mitcham 16 13.23x
Sheet 16 183.70x
West Bromwich 16 2.11x
West Dean 16 12.79x
Gloucester St John Baptist 15 30.16x
Hunslet 15 2.47x
Leeds 15 0.68x
Maidstone 15 3.76x
Newbury 15 15.88x
Pudsey 15 7.21x
Streatley 15 172.22x
Chelsea London 14 1.18x
Chilcompton 14 161.66x
Claines 14 9.95x
Corsham 14 27.62x
Lewisham 14 1.96x
Newland 14 21.63x
Painswick 14 25.70x
Westminster St James 14 3.47x
Kings Norton 13 2.83x
Lewes St John Southover 13 29.23x
Limpsfield 13 71.04x
Newhaven 13 24.17x
West Ham 13 0.76x
Worcester St John 13 21.22x
Kensington London 12 0.55x
Reading St Mary 12 5.08x
Steep 12 148.70x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 257
Sarah 151
Elizabeth 130
Ann 92
Eliza 81
Jane 73
Annie 67
Alice 65
Ellen 61
Emily 61
Emma 59
Hannah 45
Louisa 42
Charlotte 32
Fanny 32
Edith 31
Kate 31
Harriet 27
Martha 26
Caroline 24
Florence 23
Lucy 19
Maria 19
Clara 18
Ada 17
Amy 17
Frances 17
Catherine 16
Harriett 14
Esther 13
Susan 13
Anne 12
Margaret 12
Matilda 12
Julia 11
Laura 11
Rose 11
Selina 10
Agnes 9
Amelia 9
Minnie 9
Lydia 8
Ruth 8
Bertha 7
Gertrude 7
Helen 7
Jessie 7
Beatrice 6
Ethel 6
Mabel 6

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 275
John 192
George 147
Henry 132
Thomas 116
Charles 113
James 98
Alfred 54
Joseph 53
Frederick 47
Edward 45
Richard 43
Arthur 42
Albert 41
Robert 34
Frank 31
Samuel 27
Harry 26
Walter 23
Ernest 20
Edwin 19
David 14
Francis 14
Stephen 12
Wm. 12
Thos. 11
Benjamin 9
Herbert 9
Percy 9
Daniel 8
Tom 8
Fred 7
Fredrick 7
Isaac 7
Chas. 6
Edmund 6
Fredk. 6
Mark 6
Sidney 6
Geo. 5
Josiah 5
Alexander 4
Caleb 4
Edgar 3
Henery 3
Jesse 3
Lot 3
Reuben 3
Samson 3
Spencer 3

FAQ

Holder surname: questions and answers

How common was the Holder surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,029 people were recorded with the Holder surname. That placed it at #1,121 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Holder surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 6,751 in 2016. That gives Holder a modern rank of #999.

What does the Holder surname mean?

An occupational surname for a tenant or owner of land or dwellings.

What does the Holder map show?

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