NameCensus.

UK surname

Holton

Derived from a place name meaning "hollow town" or "town in the hollow" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 1,539 people recorded with the Holton surname, ranking it #2,727 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,001, ranked #3,226, down from #2,727 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wiltshire, Harborough and South Northamptonshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Holton is 2,349 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 30.0%.

1881 census count

1,539

Ranked #2,727

Modern count

2,001

2016, ranked #3,226

Peak year

1911

2,349 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Holton had 1,539 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,727 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,001 in 2016, ranked #3,226.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,349 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Holton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Holton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Holton 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 951 #2,921
1861 historical 1,025 #2,735
1881 historical 1,539 #2,727
1891 historical 1,828 #2,513
1901 historical 1,972 #2,689
1911 historical 2,349 #2,178
1997 modern 1,985 #3,074
1998 modern 2,113 #3,024
1999 modern 2,167 #2,980
2000 modern 2,138 #2,998
2001 modern 2,074 #3,014
2002 modern 2,073 #3,081
2003 modern 2,012 #3,099
2004 modern 2,000 #3,115
2005 modern 1,973 #3,119
2006 modern 1,974 #3,131
2007 modern 1,998 #3,132
2008 modern 2,004 #3,146
2009 modern 2,030 #3,175
2010 modern 2,064 #3,192
2011 modern 2,047 #3,177
2012 modern 1,986 #3,211
2013 modern 1,996 #3,248
2014 modern 2,012 #3,247
2015 modern 2,000 #3,238
2016 modern 2,001 #3,226

Geography

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Where Holtons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory, Lambeth and Warminster, Upton Scudamore, Great and Little Corsley, Norton Bavant. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wiltshire, Harborough, South Northamptonshire and Corby. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory Northamptonshire
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Warminster, Upton Scudamore, Great and Little Corsley, Norton Bavant Wiltshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wiltshire 040 Wiltshire
2 Harborough 008 Harborough
3 Harborough 007 Harborough
4 South Northamptonshire 004 South Northamptonshire
5 Corby 004 Corby

Forenames

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First names often paired with Holton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Holton

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Holton is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Holton 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

Holton falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Holton

The surname Holton is of English origin, derived from a place name referring to a settlement or town in a hollow or valley. It is believed to have originated in the 12th century, with early spellings including Holtun, Holtune, and Holton.

The name Holton is found in several early records, including the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions several places named Holton in various counties across England. One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was Robert de Holtun, recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1195.

During the medieval period, the Holton family settled in various parts of England, including Lincolnshire, Oxfordshire, and Somerset. Notable individuals from this time include Sir John Holton, a Knight of Oxfordshire who lived in the late 13th century, and William Holton, a landowner in Somerset mentioned in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1327.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, the Holton surname continued to spread across England, with records showing bearers in counties such as Shropshire, Staffordshire, and Warwickshire. One notable figure from this period was Thomas Holton, a merchant from London who was born in 1580 and became involved in the Virginia Company, which established the first permanent English settlement in North America.

The 18th and 19th centuries saw Holtons migrate to various parts of the British Empire, including North America, Australia, and New Zealand. One prominent individual was Isaac Holton, a British naval officer born in 1745, who served in the American Revolutionary War and later became a successful merchant in Nova Scotia.

Other notable Holtons throughout history include Craven Holton (1782-1857), an English clergyman and author; Amelia Holton (1852-1917), an American educator and suffragist; and Edward Holton (1815-1892), a British barrister and Member of Parliament.

The Holton surname has maintained a presence in various parts of the English-speaking world, with descendants found in countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. While the name has evolved over time, its origins can be traced back to the medieval English place names referring to settlements in hollows or valleys.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Holton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Holton 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. Middlesex leads with 255 Holtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.69x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 255 1.69x
Surrey 173 2.35x
Northamptonshire 151 10.62x
Buckinghamshire 130 14.23x
Wiltshire 106 7.93x
Warwickshire 89 2.34x
Kent 88 1.71x
Yorkshire 82 0.55x
Oxfordshire 66 7.07x
Hertfordshire 65 6.24x
Lancashire 48 0.27x
Berkshire 28 2.47x
Somerset 24 0.99x
Lincolnshire 21 0.87x
Worcestershire 17 0.86x
Essex 16 0.54x
Gloucestershire 16 0.54x
Hampshire 16 0.52x
Glamorgan 14 0.53x
Suffolk 14 0.76x
Nottinghamshire 13 0.64x
Staffordshire 13 0.25x
Bedfordshire 12 1.53x
Lanarkshire 10 0.20x
Leicestershire 9 0.54x
Monmouthshire 8 0.73x
Cheshire 7 0.21x
Devon 7 0.22x
Dorset 7 0.71x
Durham 7 0.16x
Sussex 7 0.27x
Channel Islands 6 1.34x
Midlothian 6 0.30x
Royal Navy 5 2.78x
Herefordshire 3 0.48x
Huntingdonshire 3 1.00x
Cornwall 2 0.12x
Angus 1 0.07x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.16x
Derbyshire 1 0.04x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.46x
Shropshire 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Warminster in Wiltshire leads with 48 Holtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 163.93x.

Place Total Index
Warminster 48 163.93x
Lambeth 46 3.49x
Buckingham 30 161.46x
Margate St John Baptist 30 31.78x
Aston 27 2.57x
Kings Walden 27 458.40x
Northampton All Sts 24 49.76x
Tingewick 23 560.98x
Clewer 21 45.20x
Hackney London 20 2.36x
Southwark St George Martyr 20 6.58x
Birmingham 19 1.50x
Northampton Priory St 19 22.28x
Northampton St Sepulchre 19 26.28x
Croydon 18 4.40x
Islington London 18 1.23x
Kensington London 17 2.02x
Lonbridge Deverill 17 362.47x
St Marylebone London 17 2.11x
St Pancras London 16 1.32x
Camberwell 15 1.55x
Welwyn 15 166.30x
Bermondsey 14 3.11x
Calverton 14 492.96x
Slapton 14 1627.91x
St George Hanover Square 14 5.26x
Hammersmith London 13 3.49x
Ovenden 13 19.51x
Shoreditch London 13 1.98x
Stony Stratford East 13 345.74x
Tottenham 13 5.40x
Duston 12 93.02x
Hill Deverill 12 1714.29x
Oxford St Peter Le Bailey 12 259.18x
Twickenham 12 18.52x
Streatham 11 9.81x
Battersea 10 1.80x
Bethnal Green London 10 1.52x
Evenley 10 384.62x
Mile End Old Town London 10 3.11x
Priston 10 751.88x
Alveston 9 180.00x
Benningholme Grange 9 1451.61x
Cambusnethan 9 8.29x
Henley On Thames 9 47.07x
Mount Bures 9 629.37x
Newington 9 1.61x
Paddington London 9 1.62x
Poplar London 9 3.16x
Tollerton 9 339.62x
Trowbridge 9 15.24x
Wicken 9 426.54x
Coventry St Michael 8 6.54x
Kings Norton 8 4.52x
Linthorpe 8 8.95x
Llandaff 8 9.14x
Offley 8 117.99x
Paulerspury 8 135.59x
St Woollos 8 6.56x
Wandsworth 8 5.50x
Weston 8 42.78x
Abingdon St Helen 7 21.11x
Aylesford 7 48.99x
Beccles 7 23.63x
Blackburn 7 1.47x
Castleton 7 3.91x
Chesham 7 20.79x
Gt Tew 7 282.26x
Kings Sutton 7 110.76x
Monks Coppenhall 7 5.56x
Morley 7 8.99x
Northampton St Giles 7 12.93x
Sanford On Thames 7 426.83x
Colinton 6 26.58x
Hendon 6 11.04x
Kimberworth 6 7.22x
Leicester St Margaret 6 1.47x
Preston Capes 6 526.32x
St Mary Le Strand London 6 108.89x
Upton Cum Chalvey 6 16.48x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 93
John 84
George 55
Thomas 48
Charles 41
Henry 33
James 25
Joseph 23
Alfred 21
Edward 21
Arthur 20
Richard 18
Albert 17
Frederick 16
Robert 13
Harry 12
Samuel 11
Edwin 10
Francis 10
Ernest 9
Herbert 7
Walter 7
Benjamin 6
Frank 6
Geo. 6
Michael 5
Thos. 5
Fredrick 4
Percy 4
Stephen 4
Fredk. 3
Mark 3
Patrick 3
Tom 3
Wm. 3
Benjiman 2
Bertie 2
Daniel 2
David 2
Edgar 2
Edwd. 2
Eli 2
Enos 2
Harold 2
Horace 2
Joshua 2
Josiah 2
Reuben 2
Thos.S. 2
Uzziah 2

FAQ

Holton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Holton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,539 people were recorded with the Holton surname. That placed it at #2,727 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Holton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,001 in 2016. That gives Holton a modern rank of #3,226.

What does the Holton surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "hollow town" or "town in the hollow" in Old English.

What does the Holton map show?

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