NameCensus.

UK surname

Hollings

An English habitation surname derived from a place name meaning "hollow lands".

In the 1881 census there were 1,127 people recorded with the Hollings surname, ranking it #3,534 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,027, ranked #5,681, down from #3,534 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Calverley, Bingley and Bradford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bradford, Blaenau Gwent and Ribble Valley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hollings is 1,446 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 8.9%.

1881 census count

1,127

Ranked #3,534

Modern count

1,027

2016, ranked #5,681

Peak year

1911

1,446 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hollings had 1,127 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,534 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,027 in 2016, ranked #5,681.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,446 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Hollings surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hollings surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hollings 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 785 #3,397
1861 historical 905 #3,060
1881 historical 1,127 #3,534
1891 historical 1,157 #3,695
1901 historical 1,365 #3,682
1911 historical 1,446 #3,341
1997 modern 1,089 #5,110
1998 modern 1,136 #5,109
1999 modern 1,127 #5,191
2000 modern 1,125 #5,175
2001 modern 1,093 #5,199
2002 modern 1,102 #5,263
2003 modern 1,070 #5,293
2004 modern 1,076 #5,289
2005 modern 1,039 #5,379
2006 modern 1,038 #5,404
2007 modern 1,055 #5,365
2008 modern 1,031 #5,513
2009 modern 1,041 #5,593
2010 modern 1,076 #5,534
2011 modern 1,055 #5,564
2012 modern 1,022 #5,638
2013 modern 1,050 #5,601
2014 modern 1,061 #5,583
2015 modern 1,041 #5,617
2016 modern 1,027 #5,681

Geography

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Where Hollings' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Calverley, Bingley, Bradford, Keighley and Leeds. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bradford, Blaenau Gwent, Ribble Valley and Rotherham. 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 Calverley Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Bingley Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Keighley Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Leeds Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bradford 014 Bradford
2 Bradford 004 Bradford
3 Blaenau Gwent 008 Blaenau Gwent
4 Ribble Valley 001 Ribble Valley
5 Rotherham 013 Rotherham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hollings

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hollings

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Hollings, 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 Hollings surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Hollings 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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Hollings is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Hollings is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hollings falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Hollings

The surname Hollings is an English locational surname that originated in the northern counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire. It is derived from the Old English words "hol" meaning a hollow or sunken ground and "ing" denoting a meadow or enclosure, suggesting that the name referred to someone who lived in a hollow meadow or low-lying pasture.

The earliest recorded instance of the name appears in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, where a Johannes de Hollings is listed. The name is also found in the Lancashire Wills of 1548, with a William Hollinges mentioned as a landholder.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname was often spelled in various ways, including Hollings, Hollins, Hollynges, and Hollinges, reflecting the regional dialects and variations in pronunciation.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a settlement called "Hollins" is recorded in the West Riding of Yorkshire, which may have been the original location from which the Hollings surname derived.

One notable bearer of the name was Sir Robert Hollings (c. 1575-1647), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1635. He was a prominent figure in the East India Company and played a significant role in the expansion of English trade and influence in the Far East.

Another individual with the Hollings surname was George Hollings (1737-1799), a renowned English clockmaker and inventor who is credited with developing the first practical cylinder escapement for clocks, a crucial innovation in timekeeping technology.

In the literary world, the novelist and poet Pamela Hollings (1923-2011) gained recognition for her works exploring themes of family, relationships, and the complexities of modern life. Her novel "The Hazard" (1963) was widely acclaimed and established her as a prominent voice in British literature.

The name Hollings has also been associated with various places in England, such as Hollings Hill in Lancashire and Hollings Farm in Yorkshire, further reinforcing its locational origins.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in North America dates back to the 17th century, when a John Hollings is mentioned in the records of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1635, suggesting the surname's migration across the Atlantic during the colonial era.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hollings families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hollings 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 771 Hollings' recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.09x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 771 7.09x
Middlesex 89 0.81x
Lancashire 46 0.35x
Surrey 30 0.56x
Hampshire 24 1.07x
Somerset 20 1.13x
Herefordshire 19 4.22x
Staffordshire 17 0.46x
Durham 15 0.46x
Kent 13 0.35x
Sussex 11 0.59x
Leicestershire 9 0.74x
Gloucestershire 7 0.33x
Worcestershire 7 0.49x
Oxfordshire 6 0.89x
Shropshire 6 0.63x
Cambridgeshire 5 0.72x
Devon 5 0.22x
Essex 4 0.18x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.27x
Warwickshire 4 0.14x
Monmouthshire 2 0.25x
Northumberland 2 0.12x
Wiltshire 2 0.21x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.15x
Cheshire 1 0.04x
Denbighshire 1 0.24x
Derbyshire 1 0.06x
Dorset 1 0.14x
Lincolnshire 1 0.06x
Royal Navy 1 0.76x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Calverley Cum Farsley in Yorkshire leads with 100 Hollings' recorded in 1881 and an index of 323.83x.

Place Total Index
Calverley Cum Farsley 100 323.83x
Leeds 94 15.31x
Hunslet 71 41.87x
Horton In Bradford 41 24.14x
Bingley 38 54.87x
Bradford 35 13.29x
Eccleshill 32 120.94x
Otley 29 109.85x
Methley 26 169.82x
Armley 19 39.62x
Portsea 18 4.08x
Idle 17 33.72x
St Marylebone London 17 2.90x
Kildwick 16 161.62x
Bowling 15 13.93x
Lyncombe Widcombe 15 32.43x
Rothwell 15 68.31x
Hoyland Nether 14 52.49x
Islington London 14 1.32x
Over Darwen 14 13.46x
Bow London 12 8.59x
Keighley 12 10.35x
Horsforth 11 46.14x
Wortley In Bramley 11 12.77x
Bermondsey 10 3.06x
Clerkenwell London 10 3.86x
Huddersfield 10 6.31x
Sandal Magna 10 62.19x
Gateshead 9 3.68x
Shipley 9 15.95x
Yeadon 9 36.65x
St George Hanover Square 8 4.14x
St Pancras London 8 0.91x
Wath On Dearne 8 36.87x
Enville 7 240.55x
Hackney London 7 1.14x
Haworth 7 27.08x
Holbeck 7 9.72x
Manchester 7 1.20x
Pendlebury 7 25.46x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 6 15.19x
Charlbury 6 78.84x
Chorley 6 8.21x
Harborne 6 5.05x
Melton Mowbray 6 27.42x
Stockton On Tees 6 3.81x
Strood 6 28.09x
Wakefield 6 7.19x
Astley Abbotts 5 213.68x
Bolton In Bradford 5 71.74x
Croydon 5 1.68x
Glusburn 5 81.43x
Hastings Holy Trinity 5 36.66x
Hawksworth 5 617.28x
Lofthouse Cum Carlton 5 37.74x
Much Dewchurch 5 234.74x
Newington 5 1.23x
Northowram 5 6.56x
Ormesby 5 17.11x
Sutton Stoneferry 5 16.07x
Worthington 5 520.83x
Cheltenham 4 2.41x
Hereford All Sts 4 19.40x
Honiton 4 31.65x
Lenton 4 11.48x
Manningham 4 2.99x
Naburn 4 186.92x
Poplar London 4 1.93x
Southcoates 4 6.63x
St George Martyr London 4 17.99x
Warley 4 12.73x
West Ham 4 0.84x
Birmingham 3 0.33x
Clayton 3 11.27x
Frimley 3 19.70x
Putney 3 6.00x
Redmarley 3 79.79x
Scarborough 3 3.04x
Walcot 3 3.19x
Whitby 3 8.19x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 85
Sarah 62
Elizabeth 33
Ann 29
Jane 25
Annie 23
Emma 21
Hannah 21
Eliza 19
Martha 16
Ellen 13
Emily 12
Grace 11
Clara 10
Alice 9
Margaret 9
Maria 8
Ada 7
Edith 6
Louisa 6
Florence 5
Harriet 5
Rhoda 5
Gertrude 4
Isabella 4
Ruth 4
Susannah 4
Amelia 3
Anne 3
Betty 3
Charlotte 3
Eva 3
Frances 3
Lilly 3
May 3
Augusta 2
Christiana 2
Elizth. 2
Fanny 2
Florance 2
Jessie 2
Kate 2
Lily 2
Lydia 2
M. 2
Maud 2
Minnie 2
Nancy 2
Rachel 2
Winifred 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 77
William 55
James 34
Thomas 32
George 31
Joseph 22
Henry 16
Alfred 15
Arthur 14
Charles 14
Harry 13
Richard 11
Samuel 10
Edward 9
Fred 9
Benjamin 8
Herbert 8
David 7
Isaac 7
Robert 7
Walter 7
Wm. 7
Thos. 5
Albert 4
Edmund 4
Ernest 4
Frank 4
Joshua 4
Tom 4
Edwin 3
Francis 3
Frederick 3
Peter 3
Reuben 3
Seth 3
Wilfred 3
Abraham 2
Alfd. 2
Cornelius 2
Joe 2
Johnson 2
Jonathan 2
Oliver 2
Sidney 2
Ben 1
Benj. 1
Claud 1
Daniel 1
Earnest 1
Harold 1

FAQ

Hollings surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hollings surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,127 people were recorded with the Hollings surname. That placed it at #3,534 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hollings surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,027 in 2016. That gives Hollings a modern rank of #5,681.

What does the Hollings surname mean?

An English habitation surname derived from a place name meaning "hollow lands".

What does the Hollings map show?

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