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Holder History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Holder History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Holder has a long Anglo-Saxon heritage. The name comes from when a family lived as tenants or occupiers of land. The surname Holder originally derived from the Old English word Haldan. 1 Conversely, another source claims that the name was derived from the Old English word "h(e)aldan," meaning "to guard or keep." It is thought to have been an occupational name for a keeper of animals, but may also have been used in the sense of a holder of land within the Feudal System. 2

Early Origins of the Holder family

The surname Holder was first found in Gloucestershire and other counties and shires in Britain. One of the first records of the name was Robert le Holdere who was listed in Gloucestershire in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. 1 2 The same rolls list Robert Holdere in Norfolk and Robert le Holdere in Cambridgeshire. 2

Early History of the Holder family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Holder research. Another 60 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1616, 1631, 1633, 1640, 1642, 1643, 1676 and 1698 are included under the topic Early Holder History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Holder Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Holder have been found, including Holder, Holdere, Holders and others.

Early Notables of the Holder family

Distinguished members of the family include

Christopher Holder (c. 1631-1676), an English Quaker minister from Gloucestershire who emigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony but was still persecuted for his beliefs before moving to Rhode Island
William Holder (1616-1698), was an English divine, born in Nottinghamshire in 1616. He matriculated at Cambridge as a scholar of Pembroke Hall on 4 July 1633, and after proceeding M.A. in 1640, was el...

Holder Ranking

In the United States, the name Holder is the 857^th most popular surname with an estimated 34,818 people with that name. 3 However, in the United Kingdom, the name Holder is ranked the 990^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,022 people with that name. 4

Holder migration to the United States +

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Holder, or a variant listed above:

Holder Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Holder, who arrived in Maryland in 1633 5
Elizabeth Holder, who settled in Virginia with her husband John in 1638
Mary Holder, who arrived in Virginia in 1652 5
Christopher Holder, who settled in Boston in 1656 later moving to Newport RI
Christopher Holder, aged 25, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1656 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Holder Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Susanna Holder, who landed in Virginia in 1717 5
Hans Jacob Holder, aged 12, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1738 5
Hans Marthel Holder, aged 24, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1738 5
Casparus Holder, aged 26, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1738 5
Alexander Holder, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1751 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Holder Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Wilhelm Holder, aged 35, who landed in New York in 1854 5
Wilhelme Holder, aged 28, who arrived in New York in 1854 5
Albert Holder, who landed in St Clair County, Illinois in 1860 5
Con Holder, aged 59, who arrived in New York in 1862 5
Kyzer Holder, aged 30, who arrived in New York in 1862 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Holder migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Holder Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Jacob Holder U.E. (b. 1757) born in Lynn Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, USA who arrived at Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1783 aboard the ship "Grace" he enlisted in 1777 and served in the Buck's County Volunteers then the Queen's Rangers he died in 1828 in Long Reach, Kings County, New Brunswick, married to Mary Sharp they had 9 children 6
Mr. John Holder U.E. born in Pennsylvania, USA who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 6

Holder migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Holder Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Joseph Holder, English convict who was convicted in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England for life, transported aboard the "Caledonia" in 19th June 1822, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 7
Mr. Thomas Holder, English convict who was convicted in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Claudine" on 19th August 1829, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
Edward Holder, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Rajasthan" in 1838 9
Harriet Holder, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Rajasthan" in 1838 9
Mr. John Holder, English convict who was convicted in Bristol, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Barossa" on 8th December 1839, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Holder migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Holder Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

James Holder, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
William Holder, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
William John Holder, who landed in Wanganui, New Zealand in 1841
William John Holder, aged 25, a farmer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Catherine Stewart Forbes" in 1841
William Holder, aged 39, a sawyer, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "London" in 1842
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Holder migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 11

Holder Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Nicholas and Meltih Holder, who settled in Barbados in 1679 with their servants

Contemporary Notables of the name Holder (post 1700) +

Randolph M. Holder (1918-1942), American naval aviator, eponym of the destroyer USS Holder (DD-819)
Burton Allen Holder (1843-1920), Chickasaw Indian who served as a Confederate officer in the American Civil War
Janice M. Holder (1949-2008), American Tennessee Supreme Court justice, Chief Justice of Tennessee from 2008 to 2010
Eric Himpton Holder Jr. (b. 1951), American 82nd Attorney General of the United States
Preston Holder (1908-1980), American archaeologist
Eric H. Holder Jr., American politician, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, 1993-97 12
Dwight A. Holder, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from South Carolina, 1948 12
David M. Holder, American Republican politician, Chair of Randolph County Republican Party, 2002 12
Daniel Clinton Holder, American politician, Representative from Michigan 9th District, 1926 12
Charles A. Holder, American politician, U.S. Consul in Cologne, 1914 12
... (Another 25 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Holder family +

Bismarck

Christian Holder (1921-1941), German Matrosengefreiter who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 13

HMAS Sydney II

Mr. Edward Harrison Holder (1922-1941), Australian Telegraphist from Cremorne, New South Wales, Australia, who sailed into battle aboard HMAS Sydney II and died in the sinking 14

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/caledonia
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 18th February 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/claudine
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) RAJASTHAN 1838. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1838Rajasthan.htm
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barossa
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 26) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details
HMAS Sydney II, Finding Sydney Foundation - Roll of Honour. (Retrieved 2014, April 24) . Retrieved from http://www.findingsydney.com/roll.asp