Show ContentsHollenshead History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the name Hollenshead date back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Hollenshead family lived in the region of Hollingside or Holmside in Durham. Hollin Old Hall is a house in Bollington, Cheshire, England with parts that date back to the 17th century and Hollin Hall is a country house in Crook in Cumbria that dates back to the 14th century.

Literally, the name originated from the expression 'of the hollins head,' as in "one who dwelt at the head of the hollin-bushes." 1

Early Origins of the Hollenshead family

The surname Hollenshead was first found in East Cheshire where the area has "given birth to a large number of Hollingsheads from some immediate locality of that name." 1

By example, some of the early records include: John del Holynshede, 1408: East Cheshire; and Hugh Hollinshead, of Bosley, Yeoman, 1541, both recorded there. 1

Early History of the Hollenshead family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hollenshead research. Another 115 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1529, 1541, 1546, 1550, 1554, 1556, 1560, 1561, 1573, 1574, 1575, 1577, 1580, 1587, 1612, 1635, 1644, 1683 and 1739 are included under the topic Early Hollenshead History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hollenshead Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Hollenshead are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Hollenshead include: Hollinshed, Holinshed, Hollinshead, Holinshead, Hollingshead, Holingshead, Hollins, Holins, Hollings and many more.

Early Notables of the Hollenshead family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Sir Hugh Hollinshed and his son, Ottiwell Hollinshed MA (fl. 1550s), English prelate, Canon of Windsor from 1550 to 1554. He was one of the original Fellows of Trinity College, Cambridge in 1546. Raphael Holinshed (1529-1580) was an English chronicler, best known for his Holinshed's Chronicles, first published in 1577, and later in a second edition in 1587. It is generally thought that Shakespeare used the revised second edition of the Chronicles (1587) as the source for most of his history plays. He "is said to have been son of Ralph Holinshed or Hollingshed...
Another 153 words (11 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hollenshead Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Hollenshead family

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Hollenshead or a variant listed above: John and Grace Hollinshead, who came to West Jersey, from London, in circa 1678; Joseph Hollingshead who settled in Maryland in 1684; Clayton Hollingshead, who settled in Philadelphia in 1820.



  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)


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