NameCensus.

UK surname

Holstead

A surname derived from a place name referring to a hollow or valley.

In the 1881 census there were 183 people recorded with the Holstead surname, ranking it #13,596 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 221, ranked #18,321, down from #13,596 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Halifax, Kirkheaton and Batley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Holland, Leeds and York.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Holstead is 270 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 20.8%.

1881 census count

183

Ranked #13,596

Modern count

221

2016, ranked #18,321

Peak year

1851

270 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Holstead had 183 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,596 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 221 in 2016, ranked #18,321.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 270 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Holstead surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Holstead surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Holstead 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 270 #8,275
1861 historical 178 #13,202
1881 historical 183 #13,596
1891 historical 205 #14,649
1901 historical 216 #14,426
1911 historical 208 #14,594
1997 modern 197 #17,792
1998 modern 216 #17,257
1999 modern 210 #17,712
2000 modern 208 #17,772
2001 modern 213 #17,267
2002 modern 209 #17,803
2003 modern 204 #17,909
2004 modern 212 #17,540
2005 modern 211 #17,520
2006 modern 206 #17,945
2007 modern 208 #18,013
2008 modern 212 #17,950
2009 modern 219 #17,960
2010 modern 221 #18,205
2011 modern 220 #18,096
2012 modern 208 #18,720
2013 modern 217 #18,493
2014 modern 221 #18,412
2015 modern 221 #18,289
2016 modern 221 #18,321

Geography

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Where Holsteads are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Halifax, Kirkheaton, Batley, Huddersfield and Bolton-le-Moors. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Holland, Leeds, York and Wiltshire. 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 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Kirkheaton Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Batley Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Huddersfield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Bolton-le-Moors Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Holland 001 South Holland
2 Leeds 033 Leeds
3 York 003 York
4 Wiltshire 048 Wiltshire
5 Leeds 004 Leeds

Forenames

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First names often paired with Holstead

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Holstead

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Holstead, 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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Holstead surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Holstead household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Holstead is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Holstead is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Holstead falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Holstead

The surname Holstead is of English origin, deriving from the Old English words "hol" meaning hollow or valley, and "stede" meaning place or homestead. It is believed to have originated in the 12th century as a locational surname, referring to those who lived in or near a hollow or valley.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1190, where a person named Robert de Holestede is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already established in the late 12th century.

In the 13th century, the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279 mention a William de Holstede, indicating the surname's presence in that region during that time period. The Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 also reference a John de Holstede, further solidifying the name's historical roots.

The Holstead surname is closely associated with the village of Holstead in Oxfordshire, which dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was recorded as "Holestede." This place name is believed to have influenced the development and spelling of the surname.

Notable individuals bearing the Holstead surname throughout history include:

1. John Holstead (c. 1515 - 1571), an English Protestant reformer and clergyman who served as Bishop of Bristol from 1554 to 1555.

2. William Holstead (1618 - 1672), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for East Retford from 1661 to 1672.

3. Elizabeth Holstead (1736 - 1811), an English painter known for her portraits and still-life works.

4. Richard Holstead (1808 - 1892), a British engineer and inventor credited with designing early agricultural machinery and implements.

5. Thomas Holstead (1855 - 1935), an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club in the late 19th century.

While the Holstead surname has evolved in spelling and pronunciation over the centuries, its roots can be traced back to the Old English language and the geographical regions of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire, where it originated as a locational surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Holstead families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Holstead 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 100 Holsteads recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.62x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 100 5.62x
Lancashire 40 1.88x
Cumberland 14 9.06x
Nottinghamshire 8 3.31x
Durham 5 0.94x
Warwickshire 5 1.10x
Middlesex 4 0.22x
Surrey 4 0.46x
Lanarkshire 3 0.52x
Lincolnshire 1 0.35x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 15 Holsteads recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.94x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 15 14.94x
Normanton 15 280.90x
Farnworth 12 94.04x
Keighley 9 47.47x
Halifax 8 30.64x
Nottingham St Mary 8 12.79x
Holbeck 7 59.42x
Thornton In Craven 7 489.51x
Dewsbury 6 32.89x
Salford 6 9.58x
St Cuthbert W O 6 79.68x
Birmingham 5 3.31x
Flimby 5 381.68x
Morley 5 54.05x
Rumworth 5 164.47x
Willington 5 161.81x
Allerton 4 176.21x
Huntwick Cum Nostell 4 1142.86x
Ovenden 4 50.51x
Thornhill 4 77.07x
Glasgow 3 2.91x
Great Bolton 3 10.63x
Islington London 3 1.72x
Little Bolton 3 10.96x
Mirfield 3 30.71x
Over Darwen 3 17.64x
Southwark St Saviour 3 32.54x
Churwell 2 165.29x
Great Lever 2 88.50x
Halliwell 2 25.81x
Holy Trinity 2 4.68x
Horton In Bradford 2 7.20x
Preston 2 3.51x
Skipton 2 35.71x
Battersea 1 1.51x
Beeston 1 55.56x
Blackley 1 26.81x
Bridekirk 1 81.30x
Distington 1 126.58x
Harpurhey 1 33.78x
St Mary Within 1 51.81x
St Pancras London 1 0.69x
Sutton St Mary 1 36.90x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 12
Sarah 9
Hannah 7
Annie 6
Elizabeth 6
Eliza 5
Emma 4
Jane 3
Margaret 3
Alice 2
Anne 2
Elizth. 2
Ellen 2
Emily 2
Lucy 2
Martha 2
Susannah 2
Amelia 1
Amy 1
Ann 1
Betsy 1
Bety 1
Edith 1
Esther 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Lily 1
Lois 1
Louisa 1
Rhoda 1
Ruth 1
Tamar 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 16
William 12
David 11
Joseph 6
Thomas 6
James 5
Walter 3
Benjamin 2
Edwin 2
Fred 2
George 2
Harry 2
Henry 2
Abraham 1
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Alice 1
Benjn. 1
Charles 1
Charley 1
Elisha 1
Ernest 1
Frederick 1
Hedley 1
Leanord 1
Norman 1
Percy 1
Robert 1
Rowland 1
Sam 1
Samuel 1
Sydney 1
Thos.Thompson 1
Wm. 1
Wm.Robt.Waddington 1

FAQ

Holstead surname: questions and answers

How common was the Holstead surname in 1881?

In 1881, 183 people were recorded with the Holstead surname. That placed it at #13,596 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Holstead surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 221 in 2016. That gives Holstead a modern rank of #18,321.

What does the Holstead surname mean?

A surname derived from a place name referring to a hollow or valley.

What does the Holstead map show?

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