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Holder Family History

Holder Surname Meaning

German: topographic name for someone who lived by an elder tree Middle High German holder or a topographic or habitational name referring to a house named for its sign of an elder tree. In same areas for example Alsace the elder tree was believed to be protective of a house.

Jewish (Ashkenazic): artificial name from German Holder ‘elder tree’. English: status or occupational name from Middle English holdere haldere heldere ‘tenant; servant retainer; laborer’ an agent derivative of holden ‘to hold’ (Old English healdan).

Compare Helder English: in Yorkshire from a local pronunciation of Holdsworth.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Holder family from?

You can see how Holder families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Holder family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Holder families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 651 Holder families living in Gloucestershire. This was about 14% of all the recorded Holder's in United Kingdom. Gloucestershire had the highest population of Holder families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Holder surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Holder 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 Holder. 11% of Holder men worked as a General Labourer and 65% of Holder women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Holder were Bricklayer and Domestic Servant.

View Census Data for Holder | 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
    11%
  • Gardener
    5%
  • Builders Labourer
    4%
  • Bricklayer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    65%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Domestic Servant
    2%

What Holder family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 182,000 census records available for the last name Holder. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Holder census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Holder

Passenger Lists

There are 16,000 immigration records available for the last name Holder. 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 Holder immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 32,000 military records available for the last name Holder. For the veterans among your Holder ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Holder military records

You've only scratched the surface of Holder family history

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What is the average Holder lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Holder life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Holder in 1943 was 35, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Holder

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Holder ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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