NameCensus.

UK surname

Holding

An English surname denoting someone living beside a hollow or depression in the landscape.

In the 1881 census there were 2,644 people recorded with the Holding surname, ranking it #1,679 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,059, ranked #2,204, down from #1,679 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Whalley and Preston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Shropshire and Chorley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Holding is 3,377 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 15.7%.

1881 census count

2,644

Ranked #1,679

Modern count

3,059

2016, ranked #2,204

Peak year

1911

3,377 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Holding had 2,644 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,679 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,059 in 2016, ranked #2,204.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,377 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Holding surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Holding surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Holding 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 2,143 #1,360
1861 historical 2,249 #1,306
1881 historical 2,644 #1,679
1891 historical 2,843 #1,669
1901 historical 3,067 #1,824
1911 historical 3,377 #1,548
1997 modern 3,153 #2,039
1998 modern 3,228 #2,073
1999 modern 3,277 #2,065
2000 modern 3,252 #2,066
2001 modern 3,144 #2,094
2002 modern 3,179 #2,114
2003 modern 3,101 #2,118
2004 modern 3,132 #2,092
2005 modern 3,068 #2,111
2006 modern 3,093 #2,089
2007 modern 3,100 #2,111
2008 modern 3,110 #2,124
2009 modern 3,164 #2,135
2010 modern 3,210 #2,152
2011 modern 3,188 #2,136
2012 modern 3,140 #2,138
2013 modern 3,134 #2,174
2014 modern 3,151 #2,177
2015 modern 3,099 #2,180
2016 modern 3,059 #2,204

Geography

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Where Holdings are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Shropshire and Chorley. 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 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Whalley Lancashire
4 Preston Lancashire
5 Blackburn Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Shropshire 005 Shropshire
2 Chorley 006 Chorley
3 Chorley 014 Chorley
4 Chorley 010 Chorley
5 Chorley 012 Chorley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Holding

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Holding

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Holding is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Holding is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Holding 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 Holding 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 Holding, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Holding

The surname Holding is of English origin and dates back to the late 12th century. It derives from the Old English word "holde," meaning a small hill or valley. The name initially referred to someone who lived in a particular landscape feature or near a hollow area.

The earliest recorded instance of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1195, where a Robert de la Holdinges is mentioned. This indicates that the name was already in use and established by the late 12th century in the southwestern part of England.

Throughout the medieval period, the Holding surname can be found in various records across England, often with variations in spelling, such as Holdyng, Holdinge, and Holdingge. These variations were common due to the inconsistencies in written records and regional dialects.

One notable early bearer of the name was Sir Richard Holding, a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in the late 14th century. He was born around 1340 and was a prominent figure in the region during his lifetime.

In the 16th century, the Holding surname was particularly concentrated in the counties of Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Wiltshire, where many families of this name were recorded in parish registers and tax records. One example is John Holding, a merchant from Bristol, who was born in 1532 and became a prominent figure in the city's trade and civic affairs.

The Holding name can also be traced back to some early place names, such as Holding Hill in Gloucestershire, which was likely named after a local family or individual with the surname.

Other notable historical figures bearing the Holding surname include:

1. Sir Robert Holding (1619-1688), an English judge and politician who served as Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench from 1675 to 1688.

2. Elizabeth Holding (1737-1816), an English artist and portrait painter who was known for her miniature works and was a member of the Bluestocking Circle, a prominent intellectual group in 18th century London.

3. Henry Holding (1799-1874), a British architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Pavilion at Buckingham Palace.

4. Thomas Holding (1829-1909), an English cricketer who played for Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club and was considered one of the best wicket-keepers of his era.

5. William Holding (1842-1919), a British engineer and inventor who patented several innovations in the field of steam engine design and was a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Holding families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Holding 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 1,122 Holdings recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.65x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 1,122 3.65x
Middlesex 284 1.10x
Staffordshire 192 2.20x
Surrey 149 1.18x
Yorkshire 120 0.47x
Kent 91 1.03x
Hampshire 77 1.45x
Devon 71 1.32x
Shropshire 70 3.13x
Cheshire 62 1.08x
Northamptonshire 45 1.85x
Derbyshire 41 1.01x
Sussex 29 0.66x
Somerset 28 0.67x
Worcestershire 25 0.74x
Essex 23 0.45x
Durham 16 0.21x
Glamorgan 15 0.33x
Monmouthshire 14 0.75x
Nottinghamshire 13 0.37x
Flintshire 12 1.72x
Berkshire 11 0.57x
Norfolk 11 0.28x
Gloucestershire 9 0.18x
Suffolk 9 0.29x
Warwickshire 9 0.14x
Leicestershire 8 0.28x
Renfrewshire 8 0.40x
Cambridgeshire 7 0.43x
Channel Islands 7 0.91x
Lincolnshire 6 0.14x
Wigtownshire 6 1.74x
Dunbartonshire 5 0.72x
Huntingdonshire 5 0.97x
Isle of Man 5 1.04x
Montgomeryshire 5 0.84x
Radnorshire 5 2.39x
Royal Navy 5 1.62x
Midlothian 4 0.12x
Northumberland 4 0.10x
Pembrokeshire 4 0.49x
Angus 3 0.13x
Bedfordshire 3 0.22x
Cumberland 2 0.09x
Denbighshire 2 0.20x
Lanarkshire 2 0.02x
Oxfordshire 2 0.13x
Westmorland 2 0.35x
Cardiganshire 1 0.16x
Dorset 1 0.06x
Hertfordshire 1 0.06x
Merionethshire 1 0.21x
Perthshire 1 0.09x
Rutland 1 0.53x
Wiltshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Chorley in Lancashire leads with 66 Holdings recorded in 1881 and an index of 38.27x.

Place Total Index
Chorley 66 38.27x
Blackburn 65 7.95x
West Bromwich 62 12.39x
Oswaldtwistle 42 38.68x
Accrington 38 13.60x
Coppull 38 232.13x
Camberwell 37 2.24x
Clayton Le Moors 35 58.70x
Preston 35 4.26x
Lambeth 34 1.51x
Wigan 30 6.99x
Croston 29 182.62x
Great Harwood 28 50.41x
West Derby 27 3.00x
Hornsey 25 7.63x
Portsea 25 2.40x
Wheelton 25 181.82x
Whittle Le Woods 24 235.53x
Audley 23 26.59x
Toxteth Park 23 2.21x
Aspull 22 30.43x
St Marylebone London 20 1.45x
Tottington Lower End 20 13.69x
Chatham 19 7.82x
Everton 19 1.94x
Salford 19 2.10x
St Pancras London 19 0.91x
Wolverhampton 19 2.83x
Bromley London 18 3.16x
Clerkenwell London 18 2.94x
Deptford St Paul 18 2.64x
Halliwell 18 16.09x
Ince In Makerfield 18 12.59x
Liverpool 18 0.96x
North Meols 18 5.98x
Pemberton 18 14.69x
Wolstanton 18 6.78x
Blackrod 17 44.51x
Hampstead London 17 4.21x
Islington London 17 0.68x
Lytham 17 36.23x
Windle 17 9.83x
Broughton In Salford 16 5.69x
Finchley 16 16.11x
Kingsclere 16 65.98x
Penketh 16 144.67x
West Ham 16 1.42x
Bridgewater 15 13.25x
Chorlton On Medlock 15 3.07x
Croydon 15 2.14x
Leyland 14 26.18x
Warrington 14 3.84x
Aberdare 13 4.20x
Bethnal Green London 13 1.16x
Brightside Bierlow 13 2.58x
Rowley Regis 13 5.34x
Shoreditch London 13 1.16x
Adlington 12 41.70x
Bermondsey 12 1.56x
Garston 12 13.23x
Hawarden 12 21.94x
Hulme 12 1.87x
Bury 11 3.13x
Geddington 11 140.31x
Harborne 11 3.93x
Kensington London 11 0.76x
Moreton Corbet 11 493.27x
Widnes 11 4.96x
Worcester St Andrew 11 96.15x
Altofts 10 35.31x
Charnock Richard 10 164.74x
Ealing 10 4.32x
Gillingham 10 5.49x
Greenwich 10 2.43x
Moreton Say 10 173.61x
Rainford 10 30.08x
Willesden 10 4.10x
Hammersmith London 9 1.41x
Hindley 9 6.87x
Kings Worthy 9 227.85x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 182
Elizabeth 105
Sarah 79
Ann 68
Alice 59
Jane 58
Ellen 52
Martha 38
Eliza 36
Margaret 33
Hannah 32
Emily 25
Annie 24
Emma 22
Charlotte 20
Louisa 17
Maria 16
Susan 15
Edith 13
Ada 11
Esther 11
Isabella 11
Kate 11
Caroline 10
Catherine 10
Fanny 10
Florence 10
Eleanor 9
Frances 9
Nancy 9
Elizth. 8
Harriet 8
Rose 8
Agnes 7
Anne 7
Helen 7
Clara 6
Grace 6
Jessie 6
Rebecca 6
Ruth 6
Selina 6
Sophia 6
Susannah 6
Amelia 5
Betsy 5
Betty 5
Harriett 4
Lizzie 4
Lucy 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 181
John 163
Thomas 108
James 103
George 90
Joseph 65
Henry 57
Charles 37
Richard 35
Robert 31
Edward 24
Alfred 22
Samuel 22
Arthur 17
Albert 15
Frederick 15
Walter 14
Edwin 13
Harry 13
Seth 11
Ernest 10
Frank 9
Francis 8
David 7
Evan 7
Isaac 7
Peter 7
Ralph 7
Benjamin 6
Herbert 6
Wm. 6
Daniel 5
Fredk. 5
Hugh 5
Thos. 5
Alexander 4
Christopher 4
Geo. 4
Jas. 4
Randle 4
Cuthbert 3
Elias 3
Emmanuel 3
Fredrick 3
Harold 3
Jonathan 3
Joshua 3
Michael 3
Phillip 3
Tom 3

FAQ

Holding surname: questions and answers

How common was the Holding surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,644 people were recorded with the Holding surname. That placed it at #1,679 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Holding surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,059 in 2016. That gives Holding a modern rank of #2,204.

What does the Holding surname mean?

An English surname denoting someone living beside a hollow or depression in the landscape.

What does the Holding map show?

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