UK surname
Derived from a place name meaning "hollow day," likely referring to a holiday or festival in a hollow.
In the 1881 census there were 99 people recorded with the Holladay surname, ranking it #19,877 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 86, ranked #32,570, down from #19,877 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Ash-near-Sandwich, Topsham and Alvechurch. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Holladay is 146 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 13.1%.
1881 census count
99
Ranked #19,877
Modern count
86
2016, ranked #32,570
Peak year
1851
146 bearers
Map years
2
1851 to 1861
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Holladay surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Holladay surname density by area, 1861 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 146 | #13,157 |
| 1861 | historical | 109 | #19,693 |
| 1881 | historical | 99 | #19,877 |
| 1891 | historical | 75 | #27,414 |
| 1901 | historical | 48 | #28,808 |
| 1911 | historical | 67 | #26,152 |
| 1997 | modern | 85 | #28,988 |
| 1998 | modern | 90 | #28,920 |
| 1999 | modern | 89 | #29,168 |
| 2000 | modern | 94 | #28,573 |
| 2001 | modern | 88 | #29,056 |
| 2002 | modern | 91 | #29,181 |
| 2003 | modern | 96 | #28,381 |
| 2004 | modern | 93 | #29,065 |
| 2005 | modern | 88 | #29,831 |
| 2006 | modern | 88 | #30,160 |
| 2007 | modern | 85 | #30,954 |
| 2008 | modern | 82 | #31,597 |
| 2009 | modern | 87 | #31,489 |
| 2010 | modern | 84 | #32,289 |
| 2011 | modern | 84 | #32,237 |
| 2012 | modern | 90 | #31,790 |
| 2013 | modern | 98 | #31,078 |
| 2014 | modern | 95 | #31,792 |
| 2015 | modern | 90 | #32,245 |
| 2016 | modern | 86 | #32,570 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Ash-near-Sandwich, Topsham, Alvechurch, London parishes and St Lawrence in Thanet. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ash-near-Sandwich | Kent |
| 2 | Topsham | Devon |
| 3 | Alvechurch | Worcestershire |
| 4 | London parishes | London 3 |
| 5 | St Lawrence in Thanet | Kent |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Holladay surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Holladay, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Holladay surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Holladay household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Holladay is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Holladay is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Holladay, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Holladay is believed to have originated in England, with its earliest known recordings dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to be a locational name, derived from a place called Holloday or Halliday in Lancashire or Yorkshire. The name is likely derived from the Old English words 'halig' meaning 'holy' and 'dæg' meaning 'day', referring to a sacred day or holiday.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was William de Holyday, who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Lancashire in 1292. The name also appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1379, with the spelling 'Holyday'. These early records indicate that the name was well-established in northern England by the 14th century.
In the 16th century, the name began to spread to other parts of England, and variations in spelling became more common. In the parish records of St. Dunstan's, Stepney, London, the name appears as 'Holliday' in 1573. By the 17th century, the spelling 'Holladay' had emerged, as seen in the records of St. Martin in the Fields, Westminster, London, where a certain John Holladay was christened in 1624.
Notable bearers of the Holladay surname include Sir Benjamin Holladay (1819-1887), an American businessman and stagecoach magnate who played a significant role in the development of transportation systems in the American West. Another prominent figure was Samuel Holladay (1733-1795), a Revolutionary War veteran and early settler of Kentucky.
In the literary world, James Holladay (1807-1876) was an American poet and writer, best known for his work 'The Oracles of God'. Robert Holladay (1904-1976) was a Scottish artist and painter, renowned for his depictions of Scottish landscapes and rural life.
The Holladay surname has also been associated with various place names, such as Holladay, Utah, a city named after John Holladay, an early settler in the area. Similarly, Holladay, Tennessee, was named after James Holladay, a prominent landowner in the region.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Holladay surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Kent leads with 34 Holladays recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.22x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Kent | 34 | 10.22x |
| Yorkshire | 17 | 1.76x |
| Surrey | 16 | 3.37x |
| Gloucestershire | 11 | 5.75x |
| Middlesex | 11 | 1.13x |
| Lincolnshire | 4 | 2.56x |
| Norfolk | 4 | 2.67x |
| Cheshire | 1 | 0.46x |
| Isle of Man | 1 | 5.52x |
| Wiltshire | 1 | 1.16x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 8 Holladays recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.46x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Islington London | 8 | 8.46x |
| Rosedale East Side | 7 | 5384.62x |
| Ulcombe | 7 | 3181.82x |
| Ackton | 6 | 2500.00x |
| Lambeth | 6 | 7.05x |
| Mangotsfield | 6 | 314.14x |
| Ash Next Sandwich | 5 | 675.68x |
| Faversham | 5 | 157.73x |
| Ramsgate | 5 | 92.08x |
| Southwark St George Martyr | 5 | 25.47x |
| Stroud | 5 | 134.41x |
| Birling | 4 | 1333.33x |
| Eythorne | 4 | 2500.00x |
| Great Grimsby | 4 | 40.40x |
| New Village | 4 | 1379.31x |
| Bermondsey | 3 | 10.33x |
| Hardingham | 3 | 1764.71x |
| Shoreditch London | 2 | 4.73x |
| Acol | 1 | 1000.00x |
| Bowthorpe | 1 | 5000.00x |
| Chartham | 1 | 120.48x |
| Chelsfield | 1 | 312.50x |
| Croydon | 1 | 3.79x |
| German Peel | 1 | 96.15x |
| Greenwich | 1 | 6.44x |
| Newton In Ashton Under | 1 | 47.17x |
| St Pancras London | 1 | 1.27x |
| Swindon | 1 | 14.95x |
| Wimbledon | 1 | 18.73x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Holladay surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Holladay surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
FAQ
In 1881, 99 people were recorded with the Holladay surname. That placed it at #19,877 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 86 in 2016. That gives Holladay a modern rank of #32,570.
Derived from a place name meaning "hollow day," likely referring to a holiday or festival in a hollow.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Holladay bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.