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Holly Family History

Holly Surname Meaning

Irish: part-translation of Gaelic Mac Cuilinn (see McCullen) and in Ulster sometimes a variant of McQuillan 3 an Anglicized form of Mac Cuilinn.

English: variant of Holley.

Americanized form of Czech or Slovak Holý (see Holy).

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 Holly family from?

You can see how Holly families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Holly family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Holly families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 139 Holly families living in London. This was about 19% of all the recorded Holly's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Holly families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Holly 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 Holly 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 Holly. 25% of Holly men worked as a General Labourer and 72% of Holly women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Holly were Butcher Shopkeeper and Domestic.

View Census Data for Holly | 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
    25%
  • Builders Labourer
    13%
  • Cowman
    13%
  • Butcher Shopkeeper
    9%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    72%
  • Housewife
    5%
  • Domestic Duties
    3%
  • Domestic
    3%

What Holly family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 81,000 census records available for the last name Holly. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Holly census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Holly

Passenger Lists

There are 5,000 immigration records available for the last name Holly. 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 Holly immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 15,000 military records available for the last name Holly. For the veterans among your Holly ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Holly military records

You've only scratched the surface of Holly family history

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What is the average Holly lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Holly life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1952, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Holly in 1942 was 40, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Holly

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Holly 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.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Holly family tree

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