NameCensus.

UK surname

Holdgate

A surname derived from an English placename referring to a gate or barrier keeper.

In the 1881 census there were 234 people recorded with the Holdgate surname, ranking it #11,607 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 233, ranked #17,625, down from #11,607 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Glossop, Stockport and King's Lynn All Saints, South Lynn. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kirklees, Wirral and Forest Heath.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Holdgate is 255 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 0.4%.

1881 census count

234

Ranked #11,607

Modern count

233

2016, ranked #17,625

Peak year

1901

255 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Holdgate had 234 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,607 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 233 in 2016, ranked #17,625.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 255 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Holdgate surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Holdgate surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Holdgate 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 231 #9,334
1861 historical 243 #10,116
1881 historical 234 #11,607
1891 historical 250 #12,762
1901 historical 255 #12,965
1911 historical 252 #12,834
1997 modern 237 #15,809
1998 modern 241 #16,065
1999 modern 247 #15,932
2000 modern 241 #16,146
2001 modern 237 #16,048
2002 modern 237 #16,413
2003 modern 232 #16,447
2004 modern 226 #16,829
2005 modern 232 #16,480
2006 modern 228 #16,789
2007 modern 237 #16,571
2008 modern 231 #16,973
2009 modern 232 #17,293
2010 modern 241 #17,186
2011 modern 233 #17,426
2012 modern 224 #17,786
2013 modern 244 #17,072
2014 modern 241 #17,338
2015 modern 238 #17,378
2016 modern 233 #17,625

Geography

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Where Holdgates are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Glossop, Stockport, King's Lynn All Saints, South Lynn, Wakefield and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kirklees, Wirral, Forest Heath and High Peak. 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 Glossop Derbyshire
2 Stockport Derbyshire
3 King's Lynn All Saints, South Lynn Norfolk
4 Wakefield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kirklees 028 Kirklees
2 Wirral 031 Wirral
3 Forest Heath 003 Forest Heath
4 Wirral 029 Wirral
5 High Peak 005 High Peak

Forenames

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First names often paired with Holdgate

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Holdgate

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

Holdgate 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

Holdgate falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Holdgate

The surname Holdgate has its origins in England, with the earliest recorded examples dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from a place name that referred to a gate or barrier used to control the movement of livestock or people. The first part of the name, "Hold," likely comes from the Old English word "healdan," which means "to hold" or "to keep."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Worcestershire in 1273, where a John de Holdegate is mentioned. This suggests that the name may have originated in the region of Worcestershire or nearby areas. It's also possible that the name is associated with a now-lost or obscure place name that included the word "gate" or a variation of it.

In the 14th century, the name Holdgate can be found in various records, including the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where a Richard de Holdgate is mentioned in 1348. This suggests that the name had spread to other parts of England by this time.

One notable bearer of the name Holdgate was John Holdgate, a merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London, who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He is mentioned in records related to the company's activities and trade dealings.

Another individual with the surname Holdgate was Robert Holdgate, a prominent clockmaker who lived in London in the early 18th century. He was renowned for his intricate and highly accurate timepieces, some of which are still preserved in museum collections.

In the 19th century, a notable bearer of the name was William Holdgate (1798-1877), an English engraver and artist who specialized in book illustrations and worked for several prominent publishers in London.

Another individual worth mentioning is Thomas Holdgate (1854-1937), an English cricketer who played for Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club in the late 19th century and was known for his exceptional batting skills.

The surname Holdgate has also been associated with various place names throughout history, such as Holdgate Lane in Beeston, Nottinghamshire, and Holdgate Farm in Worcestershire, further reinforcing its locational origins.

While the surname Holdgate is not among the most common in England, it has persisted over the centuries and is still in use today, carrying with it a rich history and connection to the linguistic and geographical roots of the British Isles.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Holdgate families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Holdgate 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. Yorkshire leads with 52 Holdgates recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.28x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 52 2.28x
Derbyshire 45 12.49x
Lancashire 41 1.50x
Middlesex 16 0.70x
Norfolk 15 4.24x
Essex 14 3.08x
Staffordshire 12 1.54x
Surrey 11 0.98x
Nottinghamshire 8 2.58x
Cheshire 7 1.38x
Devon 5 1.04x
Lincolnshire 5 1.36x
Cambridgeshire 2 1.37x
Royal Navy 2 7.29x
Warwickshire 1 0.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Glossop Dale in Derbyshire leads with 21 Holdgates recorded in 1881 and an index of 124.41x.

Place Total Index
Glossop Dale 21 124.41x
West Ham 13 12.96x
Ashton Under Lyne 12 20.10x
Stoke Upon Trent 12 14.56x
Barnsley 9 38.25x
Claylane 9 179.64x
Leeds 9 6.99x
Newton In Makerfield 9 107.66x
South Lynn 8 200.50x
Eckington 7 79.91x
Fairburn 7 1750.00x
Misson 7 1296.30x
St Pancras London 7 3.78x
Chapel En Le Frith 6 182.37x
Wereham 6 1250.00x
West Derby 6 7.51x
East Ardsley 5 252.53x
Plymouth St Andrew 5 13.55x
Upholland 5 142.86x
Battersea 4 4.72x
Finningley 4 1333.33x
Oldham 4 4.54x
Over Darwen 4 18.33x
Sculcoates 4 11.06x
West Stockwith 4 769.23x
Willesden 4 18.43x
Scunthorpe 3 180.72x
Southwark St George Martyr 3 6.48x
Stayley 3 51.64x
Barmbrough 2 238.10x
Buxton 2 65.57x
Camberwell 2 1.36x
Cantley 2 454.55x
Cheadle 2 20.60x
Cottenham 2 103.09x
Headingley Cum Burley 2 13.62x
Lambeth 2 1.00x
Middlesbrough 2 6.73x
Rosedale West Side 2 833.33x
Royal Navy 2 8.53x
St Marylebone London 2 1.63x
Aston 1 0.63x
Chigwell 1 23.31x
Clee With Weelsby 1 12.41x
Denton 1 16.53x
Disley Stanley 1 38.17x
Edmonton 1 5.39x
Enfield 1 6.62x
Frodingham 1 76.34x
Hayton 1 588.24x
Romiley 1 69.93x
Shoreditch London 1 1.00x
Thurgarton 1 555.56x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 19
William 12
Robert 10
Charles 9
Thomas 8
James 7
George 6
Alfred 4
Arthur 4
Albert 3
Edward 3
Henry 3
Joseph 3
Richard 3
Samuel 3
Amos 2
Benjamin 2
David 2
Frank 2
Harry 2
Walter 2
Wright 2
C. 1
Chas. 1
Ernest 1
Frances 1
Frederick 1
Horace 1
Mathew 1
Nathaniel 1
Peter 1
Sidney 1
Tyas 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Holdgate surname: questions and answers

How common was the Holdgate surname in 1881?

In 1881, 234 people were recorded with the Holdgate surname. That placed it at #11,607 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Holdgate surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 233 in 2016. That gives Holdgate a modern rank of #17,625.

What does the Holdgate surname mean?

A surname derived from an English placename referring to a gate or barrier keeper.

What does the Holdgate map show?

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