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Holland Family History

Holland Name Meaning

English German Dutch Danish Norwegian Swedish French and Jewish (Ashkenazic): habitational name from Holland a province of the Netherlands. English: habitational name from Downholland or Upholland (Lancashire) Hulland (Derbyshire) the Parts of Holland one of the three administrative subdivisions of Lincolnshire any of the four places called Hoyland (southern Yorkshire) and possibly Great and Little Holland (Essex). The placenames all derive from Old English hōh ‘heel spur of land’ + land ‘land’. English: habitational name either from Hoeland (Farm) in Bury (Sussex) or from Holland's Barn in Albourne (Sussex). The placename in Bury has the same etymology as in 1 above while the placename in Albourne may derive from Old English hol ‘hole hollow’ + land ‘land’. English: habitational name from one or other of the minor places called Holland in Devon especially that in Bradstone. Most of the placenames derive from Old English hol ‘hole hollow’ or hōh ‘heel spur of land’ + land ‘land’ though Holland in Plympton Saint Mary derives from the Old English personal name Hūna + Old English land. English: possibly an variant of Oldland a habitational name from Oldland (Gloucestershire). The placename means ‘the old land’ from Old English eald ‘old’ + land ‘land’. Compare Aland Irish (Cork): variant of Holian .7: Norwegian (Hølland): habitational name from the farm name Hølland found in two places in southwestern Norway a compound of Old Norse hylr ‘deep pool in a river’ and land ‘(piece of) land farmstead’.8: Dutch and German: habitational name from any of several places so named.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Hoyland, Hollands, Boland, Rowland, Hyland, Helland, Hofland, Bolland

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Where is the Holland family from?

You can see how Holland families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Holland family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Holland families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 4,816 Holland families living in Lancashire. This was about 22% of all the recorded Holland's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Holland families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Holland surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Holland ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Holland. 7% of Holland men worked as a General Labourer and 65% of Holland women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Holland were Bricklayer and Incapacitated. .

View Census Data for Holland | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    7%
  • Builders Labourer
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    3%
  • Bricklayer
    2%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    65%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    2%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Holland family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 837,000 census records available for the last name Holland. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Holland census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Holland

Passenger Lists

There are 101,000 immigration records available for the last name Holland. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Holland immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 131,000 military records available for the last name Holland. For the veterans among your Holland ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Holland military records

You've only scratched the surface of Holland family history

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What is the average Holland lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Holland life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Holland in 1941 was 33, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Holland

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