NameCensus.

UK surname

Holt

A topographical surname referring to someone who lived near or in a small wood or grove.

In the 1881 census there were 20,076 people recorded with the Holt surname, ranking it #187 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 20,349, ranked #293, down from #187 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Bury and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rossendale, Bury and Doncaster.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Holt is 24,973 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 1.4%.

1881 census count

20,076

Ranked #187

Modern count

20,349

2016, ranked #293

Peak year

1911

24,973 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Holt had 20,076 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #187 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 20,349 in 2016, ranked #293.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 24,973 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Holt surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Holt surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Holt 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 12,446 #200
1861 historical 11,442 #212
1881 historical 20,076 #187
1891 historical 19,368 #205
1901 historical 23,329 #200
1911 historical 24,973 #172
1997 modern 21,060 #276
1998 modern 21,824 #277
1999 modern 21,999 #278
2000 modern 21,645 #282
2001 modern 21,236 #282
2002 modern 21,536 #283
2003 modern 20,971 #283
2004 modern 20,794 #284
2005 modern 20,362 #284
2006 modern 20,277 #285
2007 modern 20,507 #286
2008 modern 20,521 #286
2009 modern 20,918 #288
2010 modern 21,244 #289
2011 modern 20,773 #290
2012 modern 20,448 #289
2013 modern 20,717 #290
2014 modern 20,796 #290
2015 modern 20,563 #291
2016 modern 20,349 #293

Geography

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Where Holts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Bury, Manchester, London parishes 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 Rossendale, Bury, Doncaster 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 Bury Lancashire
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 London parishes London 2
5 Bolton-le-Moors Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rossendale 010 Rossendale
2 Rossendale 004 Rossendale
3 Bury 004 Bury
4 Doncaster 003 Doncaster
5 Rochdale 010 Rochdale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Holt

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Holt

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

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Holt is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Holt is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Holt

The surname Holt is of English origin, and it can be traced back to the medieval period. It is a topographic name, derived from the Old English word "holt," which means a wood or a grove. The name likely originated as a way to identify someone who lived near or in a wooded area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Holt can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book mentions several individuals with the surname Holt, indicating that the name was already established in various parts of England by the late 11th century.

The surname Holt has its roots in various regions of England, particularly in the counties of Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Cheshire, where the name was prevalent during the Middle Ages. It was often associated with specific locations or place names that incorporated the word "holt," such as Holton, Holtby, or Holcombe.

One of the earliest documented bearers of the surname Holt was Sir Thomas Holt, who lived in the 14th century and served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1349. Another notable figure with this surname was Sir John Holt (1642-1710), an English lawyer and judge who served as the Lord Chief Justice of England from 1689 to 1709.

In the realm of literature, the name Holt has been associated with several notable figures. One such individual was John Holt (1642-1708), an English writer and philosopher who was a prominent advocate of religious tolerance and freedom of expression. Another literary figure with this surname was Henry Holt (1840-1926), an American publisher who founded the publishing house Henry Holt and Company.

The surname Holt has also been carried by individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields. One example is Sir John Holt (1887-1960), a British civil engineer who played a crucial role in the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia. Another notable bearer of the name is Benjamin Holt (1849-1920), an American inventor and entrepreneur who pioneered the development of the first practical track-laying tractor, which became known as the Caterpillar tractor.

While the surname Holt has its origins in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and the diaspora of English-speaking populations. Today, the name can be found in various countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, among others.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Holt families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Holt 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 10,528 Holts recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.54x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 10,528 4.54x
Yorkshire 2,080 1.07x
Middlesex 1,053 0.54x
Cheshire 1,017 2.36x
Staffordshire 658 1.00x
Surrey 654 0.69x
Warwickshire 384 0.78x
Leicestershire 274 1.26x
Nottinghamshire 252 0.96x
Kent 243 0.36x
Derbyshire 217 0.71x
Lincolnshire 209 0.67x
Buckinghamshire 201 1.70x
Durham 181 0.31x
Essex 143 0.37x
Bedfordshire 137 1.35x
Northamptonshire 137 0.74x
Hampshire 128 0.32x
Somerset 114 0.36x
Dorset 113 0.88x
Worcestershire 104 0.41x
Berkshire 101 0.69x
Suffolk 99 0.42x
Sussex 99 0.30x
Norfolk 84 0.28x
Oxfordshire 83 0.69x
Lanarkshire 81 0.13x
Hertfordshire 66 0.49x
Northumberland 62 0.21x
Devon 59 0.14x
Herefordshire 53 0.66x
Shropshire 43 0.25x
Gloucestershire 38 0.10x
Midlothian 37 0.14x
Wiltshire 36 0.21x
Montgomeryshire 34 0.76x
Denbighshire 30 0.41x
Flintshire 25 0.48x
Cambridgeshire 21 0.17x
Angus 20 0.11x
Glamorgan 19 0.06x
Caernarfonshire 15 0.19x
Monmouthshire 15 0.11x
Dumfriesshire 14 0.32x
Channel Islands 13 0.22x
Westmorland 12 0.28x
Cornwall 9 0.04x
Cumberland 9 0.05x
Royal Navy 8 0.34x
West Lothian 8 0.27x
Pembrokeshire 4 0.06x
Morayshire 3 0.10x
Perthshire 3 0.03x
Renfrewshire 3 0.02x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.01x
Anglesey 2 0.06x
Carmarthenshire 2 0.02x
Huntingdonshire 2 0.05x
Isle of Man 2 0.06x
Selkirkshire 2 0.11x
Cardiganshire 1 0.02x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.02x
Inverness-shire 1 0.02x
Roxburghshire 1 0.03x
Stirlingshire 1 0.01x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Castleton in Lancashire leads with 512 Holts recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.09x.

Place Total Index
Castleton 512 22.09x
Spotland 510 19.77x
Oldham 471 6.29x
Bury 436 16.45x
Manchester 321 3.08x
Blackburn 310 5.02x
Newchurch 296 15.59x
Wardleworth 279 21.04x
Tottington Lower End 277 25.12x
Wuerdle Wardle 266 37.76x
Little Bolton 253 8.48x
Heap 229 18.60x
Ashton Under Lyne 208 4.10x
Salford 207 3.03x
Great Bolton 206 6.70x
Elton 194 24.19x
Blatchinworth 175 33.12x
Pilkington 173 19.62x
Pendleton In Salford 160 5.79x
Radcliffe 157 14.03x
Hulme 147 3.03x
Burnley 141 7.21x
Leeds 138 1.26x
Mirfield 122 11.47x
Chadderton 114 10.05x
Kingswinford 114 4.76x
Lymm 114 36.32x
Birmingham 113 0.69x
Rochdale 110 64.99x
Farnworth 106 7.62x
Lambeth 105 0.62x
Turton 102 26.84x
Preston 100 1.61x
Middleton In Oldham 97 13.94x
St Pancras London 97 0.62x
Dukinfield 96 4.81x
Barton Upon Irwell 94 5.38x
Liverpool 94 0.67x
Habergham Eaves 93 4.38x
Todmorden Walsden 93 14.96x
Higher Booths 91 21.75x
Aston 90 0.66x
Halifax 86 3.02x
Manningham 86 3.60x
Leicester St Margaret 85 1.61x
Islington London 83 0.44x
Newton 82 4.58x
Hackney London 79 0.72x
Over Darwen 79 4.26x
Ardwick 78 3.73x
Walmersley Cum 78 21.03x
West Derby 77 1.13x
Accrington 76 3.60x
Haslingden 76 7.91x
Nottingham St Mary 76 1.11x
Sharples 73 29.00x
Great Little Marsden 72 6.77x
Chorlton On Medlock 70 1.90x
Horton In Bradford 70 2.31x
Camberwell 67 0.54x
Bradford 65 1.39x
Stretford 64 5.01x
Broughton In Salford 63 2.97x
Butterworth 62 10.96x
Walsall Foreign 61 1.79x
Altrincham 60 7.95x
Birtle Cum Bamford 58 38.30x
St Marylebone London 58 0.56x
Stansfield 58 8.13x
Royton 57 8.03x
Toxteth Park 57 0.73x
Harwood 56 46.19x
West Ham 56 0.66x
Bradford 55 5.06x
Langfield 55 16.22x
Barrowford Booth 54 21.03x
Bethnal Green London 54 0.64x
Chorley 54 4.15x
Northowram 54 3.97x
Sale 54 10.20x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 1,617
Sarah 971
Elizabeth 768
Alice 490
Jane 404
Ann 403
Ellen 306
Hannah 303
Annie 292
Emma 278
Eliza 248
Martha 247
Margaret 240
Emily 176
Harriet 133
Maria 117
Clara 101
Ada 95
Edith 95
Betty 92
Betsy 86
Esther 80
Fanny 79
Louisa 79
Florence 73
Lucy 73
Frances 72
Charlotte 70
Catherine 69
Caroline 63
Nancy 62
Susan 58
Amelia 54
Agnes 48
Susannah 47
Rachel 46
Grace 41
Isabella 41
Harriett 39
Ruth 39
Anne 38
Kate 38
Sophia 38
Bertha 35
Amy 34
Rebecca 34
Elizth. 33
Lizzie 32
Matilda 31
Selina 29

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 1,291
William 1,008
James 881
Thomas 699
George 480
Charles 359
Joseph 351
Robert 327
Henry 295
Richard 256
Edward 214
Samuel 204
Alfred 200
Arthur 147
Frederick 131
Albert 118
Walter 113
Harry 103
Herbert 89
Edwin 80
Benjamin 79
David 78
Fred 78
Frank 77
Edmund 72
Ernest 61
Thos. 52
Wm. 52
Peter 51
Abraham 43
Daniel 40
Francis 34
Jesse 31
Tom 24
Robt. 21
Isaac 20
Ralph 20
Jas. 19
Adam 18
Andrew 18
Jacob 18
Jonathan 17
Eli 16
Geo. 16
Hugh 16
Joshua 16
Squire 16
Stephen 16
Saml. 15
Percy 14

FAQ

Holt surname: questions and answers

How common was the Holt surname in 1881?

In 1881, 20,076 people were recorded with the Holt surname. That placed it at #187 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Holt surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 20,349 in 2016. That gives Holt a modern rank of #293.

What does the Holt surname mean?

A topographical surname referring to someone who lived near or in a small wood or grove.

What does the Holt map show?

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