NameCensus.

UK surname

Hollows

An English topographic name for someone living in a hollow or low-lying area.

In the 1881 census there were 587 people recorded with the Hollows surname, ranking it #5,943 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 250, ranked #16,792, down from #5,943 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Halifax and Eccles. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Calderdale, Rossendale and County Durham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hollows is 746 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 57.4%.

1881 census count

587

Ranked #5,943

Modern count

250

2016, ranked #16,792

Peak year

1911

746 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hollows had 587 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,943 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 250 in 2016, ranked #16,792.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 746 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Hollows surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hollows surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Hollows 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 185 #11,077
1861 historical 509 #5,134
1881 historical 587 #5,943
1891 historical 657 #5,915
1901 historical 716 #6,171
1911 historical 746 #5,759
1997 modern 298 #13,593
1998 modern 328 #13,100
1999 modern 316 #13,505
2000 modern 307 #13,717
2001 modern 300 #13,737
2002 modern 285 #14,483
2003 modern 284 #14,331
2004 modern 272 #14,843
2005 modern 274 #14,663
2006 modern 267 #15,042
2007 modern 269 #15,123
2008 modern 275 #15,036
2009 modern 270 #15,551
2010 modern 260 #16,343
2011 modern 247 #16,783
2012 modern 255 #16,296
2013 modern 264 #16,191
2014 modern 258 #16,554
2015 modern 256 #16,524
2016 modern 250 #16,792

Geography

Back to top

Where Hollows' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Halifax, Eccles and Bury (Walmersley and Tottington, Heap),Middleton (Birtle with Bamford, Pilsworth). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Calderdale, Rossendale, County Durham and Rochdale. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Eccles Lancashire
4 Rochdale Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Bury (Walmersley and Tottington, Heap),Middleton (Birtle with Bamford, Pilsworth) Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Calderdale 013 Calderdale
2 Rossendale 009 Rossendale
3 Calderdale 022 Calderdale
4 County Durham 011 County Durham
5 Rochdale 008 Rochdale

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Hollows

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Hollows

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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Hollows is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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 very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hollows is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hollows falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Hollows

The surname Hollows is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word 'holh', meaning a hollow or sunken place in the landscape. It first emerged in the 12th century in areas of England such as Derbyshire and Lancashire, where the name was often used as a topographic descriptor for someone living near a hollow or depression in the land.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Hollows surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, which mention a Richard de Hollows. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also list a Walter in le Holowes in Derbyshire. These early references suggest the name was already well-established in parts of northern England by the Middle Ages.

The Hollows name appears occasionally in historical records and documents throughout the following centuries. For example, a John Hollows is mentioned in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire in 1317. In the 16th century, a William Hollows is recorded as being a resident of Bakewell in Derbyshire in 1598.

Amongst notable individuals bearing this surname, we have John Hollows (1620-1701), an English clergyman and author of theological works. Another John Hollows (1688-1736) was a British soldier and politician who served as Governor of the Bahamas from 1728 to 1734. In the 19th century, Edward Hollows (1828-1904) was a prominent English industrialist and entrepreneur who founded the Hollows Mill in Lancashire.

Moving into more recent times, Fred Hollows (1929-1993) was an acclaimed ophthalmologist and humanitarian from New Zealand who worked tirelessly to restore sight to millions of people in developing countries. He was renowned for his work in establishing eye camps and training programs throughout Asia, Africa, and the Pacific.

The Hollows surname also has connections to various place names in England. For instance, the village of Holloway in Derbyshire likely derives from the Old English 'holh-weg', meaning a sunken or hollow way. Similarly, the London district of Holloway may share the same etymology, originating from a hollow or sunken road.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Hollows families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hollows 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 529 Hollows' recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.80x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 529 7.80x
Yorkshire 23 0.41x
Durham 15 0.88x
Derbyshire 8 0.89x
Northumberland 5 0.59x
Cumberland 4 0.81x
Glamorgan 1 0.10x
Kent 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Spotland in Lancashire leads with 107 Hollows' recorded in 1881 and an index of 141.89x.

Place Total Index
Spotland 107 141.89x
Wuerdle Wardle 64 310.83x
Castleton 60 88.57x
Newchurch 36 64.88x
Todmorden Walsden 23 126.58x
Clifton 21 412.57x
Wardleworth 21 54.18x
Tonge With Haulgh 14 106.06x
Higher Booths 11 89.94x
Hopwood 11 124.01x
Middleton In Oldham 11 54.08x
Walmersley Cum 11 101.48x
Blatchinworth 10 64.77x
Waldridge 10 350.88x
Oldham 9 4.11x
Butterworth 8 48.40x
Hopton 8 3333.33x
Little Lever 8 92.27x
Lower Booths 8 65.84x
Pennington In Leigh 8 61.49x
Tottington Higher End 8 103.63x
Worsley 7 16.74x
Ainsworth 6 228.14x
Farnworth 6 14.76x
Great Bolton 6 6.68x
Langfield 6 60.54x
Radcliffe 6 18.35x
Bournmoor 5 187.27x
Darcy Lever 5 127.88x
Earsdon 5 72.25x
Elton 5 21.33x
Layton With Warbreck 5 20.09x
Royton 5 24.10x
Lowton 4 86.77x
Pendleton In Salford 4 4.95x
St Cuthbert W O 4 16.67x
Stansfield 4 19.19x
Brightside Bierlow 3 2.70x
Bury 3 3.87x
Clayton 3 21.65x
Great Harwood 3 24.47x
Kearsley 3 21.02x
Sowerby In Halifax 3 16.20x
Chadderton 2 6.03x
Leeds 2 0.63x
Manchester 2 0.66x
Newton 2 3.83x
Tottington Lower End 2 6.21x
Ashton In Makerfield 1 5.18x
Cleckheaton 1 4.79x
Crompton 1 5.18x
Little Bolton 1 1.15x
Saddleworth 1 2.29x
Salford 1 0.50x
St Pauls Cray 1 67.11x
Ystradyfodwg 1 1.15x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 47
Mary 46
Elizabeth 23
Alice 18
Betty 16
Martha 16
Ann 13
Hannah 10
Jane 9
Ellen 7
Betsy 6
Harriet 6
Nancy 6
Susan 5
Emma 4
Esther 4
Margaret 4
Ada 3
Eleanor 3
Eliza 3
Elizth. 3
Susannah 3
Annie 2
Emily 2
Fanny 2
Lucy 2
Anne 1
Betsey 1
Bettsey 1
Caroline 1
Charlott 1
Charlotte 1
Dinah 1
Dorothy 1
Edith 1
Elizebeth 1
Ellinor 1
Emmel 1
Ester 1
Gertrude 1
Hephzibah 1
Jemima 1
Laura 1
Lily 1
Margarett 1
Maria 1
Nancey 1
Nora 1
Rachael 1
Tabatha 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 50
James 39
William 23
Samuel 18
Thomas 17
George 11
Charles 9
Richard 8
Edmund 6
Edward 6
Joseph 6
Robert 6
Abraham 5
Arthur 5
Herbert 5
Albert 4
Henry 4
Jas. 4
Walter 4
Alfred 3
Benjamin 3
David 3
Eli 3
Harry 2
Luke 2
Robt. 2
Stansfield 2
Anthony 1
Austin 1
Christopher 1
Daniel 1
Edwd. 1
Edwin 1
Ellis 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Fredric 1
Harold 1
Jonathan 1
Joshua 1
Josiah 1
Levi 1
Love 1
Lucas 1
Mathias 1
Miles 1
Moses 1
Newton 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Hollows surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hollows surname in 1881?

In 1881, 587 people were recorded with the Hollows surname. That placed it at #5,943 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hollows surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 250 in 2016. That gives Hollows a modern rank of #16,792.

What does the Hollows surname mean?

An English topographic name for someone living in a hollow or low-lying area.

What does the Hollows map show?

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