NameCensus.

UK surname

Holway

A surname derived from a place name in England, possibly referring to a road or path near a hollow.

In the 1881 census there were 206 people recorded with the Holway surname, ranking it #12,596 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 113, ranked #28,691, down from #12,596 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Sampford Peverell, Burlescombe, London parishes and Buckland, West. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Taunton Deane, East Devon and Horsham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Holway is 261 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 45.1%.

1881 census count

206

Ranked #12,596

Modern count

113

2016, ranked #28,691

Peak year

1911

261 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Holway had 206 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,596 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 113 in 2016, ranked #28,691.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 261 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Holway surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Holway surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Holway 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 169 #11,832
1861 historical 181 #12,997
1881 historical 206 #12,596
1891 historical 235 #13,316
1901 historical 232 #13,769
1911 historical 261 #12,526
1997 modern 152 #20,948
1998 modern 154 #21,316
1999 modern 144 #22,405
2000 modern 141 #22,648
2001 modern 139 #22,541
2002 modern 136 #23,296
2003 modern 130 #23,672
2004 modern 124 #24,559
2005 modern 121 #24,947
2006 modern 119 #25,413
2007 modern 113 #26,641
2008 modern 111 #27,225
2009 modern 117 #26,927
2010 modern 114 #28,017
2011 modern 120 #26,930
2012 modern 122 #26,696
2013 modern 129 #26,211
2014 modern 130 #26,216
2015 modern 122 #27,245
2016 modern 113 #28,691

Geography

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Where Holways are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Sampford Peverell, Burlescombe, London parishes, Buckland, West, Uffculme and Swansea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Taunton Deane, East Devon, Horsham and Tunbridge Wells. 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 Sampford Peverell, Burlescombe Devon
2 London parishes London 3
3 Buckland, West Somerset
4 Uffculme Devon
5 Swansea Glamorganshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Taunton Deane 013 Taunton Deane
2 East Devon 004 East Devon
3 Horsham 015 Horsham
4 Tunbridge Wells 012 Tunbridge Wells
5 East Devon 001 East Devon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Holway

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Holway

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

Professional Periphery

Within London, Holway is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

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

Holway 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

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

Meaning and origin of Holway

The surname HOLWAY is an English locational surname derived from the village of Holway in Somerset, England. The name likely originates from the Old English words 'hol' meaning hollow or sunken, and 'weg' meaning way or path, referring to a sunken path or hollow way.

The earliest recorded instance of the HOLWAY surname dates back to the 13th century in Somerset. In 1273, a Robert de Holeway was mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Somerset. This suggests the name was already established in the area by that time.

In the 16th century, the HOLWAY surname appeared in various records across Somerset and Devon. One notable example is William Holway, who was born in Taunton, Somerset in 1543 and served as a Member of Parliament for Bridgwater in 1597.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the HOLWAY name spread further across England, with records showing families in counties like Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Dorset. In 1692, John Holway was born in Bristol, and later became a successful merchant and alderman in the city.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the HOLWAY surname in North America dates back to 1635, when a Thomas Holway arrived in Virginia from England. His descendants later settled in various parts of the United States, including Massachusetts and New York.

Other notable individuals with the HOLWAY surname throughout history include:

1. Richard Holway (1616-1688), an English clergyman and author from Somerset. 2. Benjamin Holway (1744-1821), an American soldier who served in the Revolutionary War and later became a prominent farmer in Vermont. 3. Mary Holway (1768-1844), an English poet and author from Gloucestershire. 4. John Holway (1786-1859), an English architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in Bristol. 5. William Holway (1828-1901), an American politician who served as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Holway families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Holway 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. Devon leads with 64 Holways recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.08x.

County Total Index
Devon 64 15.08x
Somerset 39 11.89x
Middlesex 31 1.52x
Glamorgan 28 7.89x
Gloucestershire 11 2.75x
Hampshire 11 2.63x
Surrey 6 0.60x
Yorkshire 6 0.30x
Dorset 3 2.24x
Wiltshire 3 1.66x
Channel Islands 2 3.31x
Lancashire 1 0.04x
Midlothian 1 0.37x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.36x
Sussex 1 0.29x
Warwickshire 1 0.19x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Swansea Town in Glamorgan leads with 26 Holways recorded in 1881 and an index of 89.35x.

Place Total Index
Swansea Town 26 89.35x
Uffculme 19 1507.94x
Taunton St James 13 271.40x
West Buckland 12 1904.76x
St Gilesin Fields London 11 639.53x
Sidbury 9 989.01x
Luppitt 8 1904.76x
Willand 8 3333.33x
Honiton 7 297.87x
Westminster St Margaret 6 61.04x
Alverstoke 5 33.07x
Burlescombe 5 862.07x
Camberwell 5 3.84x
Milford 5 409.84x
Wellington 5 112.36x
Hackney London 4 3.50x
Shoreditch London 4 4.53x
Thornbury 4 146.52x
Alveston 3 526.32x
Bristol St Paul In 3 28.17x
Culmstock 3 500.00x
Halifax 3 10.11x
Stainland Cum Old 3 86.71x
Trowbridge 3 37.64x
Burnham 2 80.00x
Hilfield 2 2222.22x
Hinton St George 2 416.67x
Shute 2 500.00x
St Peter Port 2 17.91x
Trull 2 298.51x
Cardiff St John 1 8.63x
Chillington 1 625.00x
Coddington 1 277.78x
Coventry Holy Trinity 1 6.51x
Coyty Lower 1 43.48x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 0.91x
Gillingham 1 43.48x
Hampstead London 1 3.15x
Hastings Holy Trinity 1 39.53x
Holdenhurst 1 9.12x
Islington London 1 0.51x
Limehouse London 1 4.47x
Liverpool 1 0.68x
Mells 1 147.06x
Northam 1 32.36x
Norton Fitzwarren 1 217.39x
Paddington London 1 1.33x
St George Hanover Square 1 2.78x
St Martin In Fields 1 8.20x
Tiverton 1 13.68x
West Teignmouth 1 30.77x
Westbury On Trym 1 7.39x
Woking 1 16.69x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 16
Elizabeth 14
Ellen 8
Annie 5
Bessie 4
Sarah 4
Alice 3
Ann 3
Edith 3
Eliza 3
Emily 3
Clara 2
Eva 2
Florence 2
Hannah 2
Jane 2
Agnes 1
Anne 1
Beatrice 1
Canilla 1
Charlotte 1
Ella 1
Ellin 1
Elsie 1
Emely 1
Ethalina 1
Fanny 1
Gertrude 1
Grace 1
Helen 1
Jessie 1
Kate 1
Laura 1
Lilian 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Mable 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Ona 1
Thomasin 1
Tryphinia 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 18
James 13
John 13
George 7
Richard 5
Thomas 5
Walter 4
Albert 3
Joseph 3
Peter 3
Fred 2
Harry 2
Abbion 1
Abel 1
Aubrey 1
Earnest 1
Emanuel 1
Emmanuel 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Gilbert 1
Henry 1
Jn. 1
Jno. 1
Laurence 1
Leonard 1
Mark 1
Norman 1
Orisini 1
Percy 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Theodore 1
Thoms. 1
Tom 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Holway surname: questions and answers

How common was the Holway surname in 1881?

In 1881, 206 people were recorded with the Holway surname. That placed it at #12,596 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Holway surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 113 in 2016. That gives Holway a modern rank of #28,691.

What does the Holway surname mean?

A surname derived from a place name in England, possibly referring to a road or path near a hollow.

What does the Holway map show?

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