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Holt Family History

Holt Surname Meaning

English, North German, Dutch, Danish, and Norwegian: topographic name for someone who lived in or by a small wood from Middle English, Middle Low German, Danish, and Norwegian holt or a habitational name from one of the many places called with this word.

In England, the surname is widely distributed but more common in Lancashire and Yorkshire than elsewhere.

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 Holt family from?

You can see how Holt families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Holt family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Holt families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 9,509 Holt families living in Lancashire. This was about 52% of all the recorded Holt's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Holt families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Holt 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 Holt 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 Holt. 7% of Holt men worked as a General Labourer and 64% of Holt women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Holt were Cotton Weaver and Housewife.

View Census Data for Holt | 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%
  • Incapacitated
    3%
  • Builders Labourer
    2%
  • Cotton Weaver
    2%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    64%
  • Cotton Weaver
    2%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%
  • Housewife
    2%

What Holt family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 639,000 census records available for the last name Holt. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Holt census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Holt

Passenger Lists

There are 61,000 immigration records available for the last name Holt. 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 Holt immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 96,000 military records available for the last name Holt. For the veterans among your Holt ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Holt military records

You've only scratched the surface of Holt family history

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What is the average Holt lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Holt life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1947, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Holt in 1940 was 32, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Holt

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Holt 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 Holt family tree

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