Wishlist
Menu
Cart
HouseofNames
Wishlist
Cart

Show ContentsHolland History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Product

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

4.9 Average Rating

The ancestors of the name Holland date back to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from their residence in an enclosed region. The surname Holland originally derived from the Old English word hough which referred to a small protected space. 1

We enclose this quotation in its entirety: "It has been stated on the authority of George of Croyland, who wrote an account of the family in 1550, that the noble and knightly race of this name could trace themselves backwards thirteen generations beyond the Norman Conquest! For 13 we should probably read 3; and there is a more credible genealogy which makes the fundator gentis one Otho, whose son Stephen flourished under Edward the Confessor, as lord of Stevington, co. Lincoln, and his son, Ralph de Holand, it is said, continued to hold his lands by the permission of William the Conqueror. These lands were in the district of Lincolnshire still known as Holland, but there is also a Holland in Lancashire which belonged to the family. They were ennobled by Edward I., and their blood mingled with that of royalty itself by the marriage of Thomas de Holland with the lovely Joane Plantagenet, the Fair Maid of Kent, and granddaughter of King Edward III." 2

Early Origins of the Holland family

The surname Holland was first found in Essex, where the Saxon Begmundus de Holande was listed c. 975. Lancashire would prove to be a strong homeland in early years as the Assize Rolls of 1246 record William de Holaund at that time. 3 Some were found at Thingwall, a detached hamlet, in the township of Little Woolton, parish of Childwall, union and hundred of West Derby.

"Thyngwall was given in exchange by King John to an individual whose name is not now on record. In the following reign, Richard, son of Thurston de Holland, held a carucate of land here 'of our lord the king,' for one mark, in exchange for his inheritance in Snodden (Smithden), 'which the king placed in his own forest.'" 4

"During the thirteenth century the descent of the manor [of West Derby] followed that of the wapentake and land between Ribble and Mersey, but in 1316 Thomas, earl of Lancaster, gave the manor, with 300 acres of wood, to Robert de Holand, and about four years later confirmed the grant with large additions, viz., the manor of West Derby. 5

Another branch was found at Dalbury in Derbyshire in early times. "In the reign of Edward II. Dalbury and Lees were the property of Sir Robert Holland." 4 In Devon, "Richard II. gave [Dartington] to his half-brother John Holland, Duke of Exeter; and he erected the great hall and its associated quadrangle, if, indeed, a portion of the latter is not somewhat earlier. The part of the mansion now inhabited was rebuilt in the time of Elizabeth. Margaret, Countess of Richmond, had a grant of the manor in 1487 for life." 6

In Scotland, "there are several places named Houlland in Shetland and there are Hollands in Orkney. Hollandbush is in Stirlingshire, and Holland-Hirst is in the parish of Kirkintilloch. Willelmus de Holland, was a witness in the reign of Alexander II. Richard Holande, vicar of Ronaldsay, 1467 derived his surname from one of the three places so named in Orkney. " 7

Early History of the Holland family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Holland research. Another 94 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1352, 1370, 1374, 1384, 1400, 1403, 1405, 1406, 1407, 1408, 1452, 1469, 1472, 1565, 1579, 1580, 1587, 1599, 1603, 1604, 1605, 1616, 1617, 1625, 1626, 1640, 1654, 1656, 1658, 1660, 1661, 1671, 1687, 1695, 1701, 1722 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Holland History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Holland Spelling Variations

Holland has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Holland have been found, including Holland, Holand and others.

Early Notables of the Holland family

Notables of the family at this time include

  • John Holland, 1st Duke of Exeter (c. 1352-1400), 1st Earl of Huntingdon, English nobleman, primarily remembered for helping cause the downfall of Thomas of Woodstock, 1st Duke of Gloucester and then f...
  • Thomas Holland, (1374-1400), 1st Duke of Surrey, 3rd Earl of Kent, 4th Baron Holland, Earl Marshal, English nobleman
  • Count of Holland
  • Alianore Holland, Countess of March (1370-1405), through her daughter, Anne Mortimer,Edmund Holland, 4th Earl of Kent, 5th Baron Holand, (1384-1408), Earl of Kent (c. 1400-c. 1407), the 106th Knight o...
  • Richard Holland (died 1661), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1654 and 1656, supporter of the Parliamentary cause in the English Civil War
  • Sir John Holland, 1st Baronet (1603-1701), an English politician, Member of Parliament for Norfolk in 1640
  • Cornelius Holland (1599-c. 1671), English regicide of Charles I of England who fled to Switzerland upon the Restoration, he was the chief hand in drawing up the charges against King Charles I but he d...

Holland World Ranking

In the United States, the name Holland is the 256th most popular surname with an estimated 104,454 people with that name. 8 However, in Canada, the name Holland is ranked the 702nd most popular surname with an estimated 7,546 people with that name. 9 And in Australia, the name Holland is the 221st popular surname with an estimated 15,116 people with that name. 10 New Zealand ranks Holland as 199th with 2,815 people. 11 The United Kingdom ranks Holland as 172nd with 31,382 people. 12

Ireland Migration of the Holland family to Ireland

Some of the Holland family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 61 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

United States Holland migration to the United States +

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Hollands to arrive on North American shores:

Holland Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Thomas Holland, who settled in Virginia in 1622
  • Gabriell Holland, who arrived in Virginia in 1623 aboard the ship "John & Francis" 13
  • Rebecca Holland, who arrived in Virginia in 1623 aboard the ship "John & Francis"
  • Miss Martha Holland, aged 24, who arrived in Virginia aboard the ship "Paul" in 1635 14
  • Miss Ann Holland, (b. 1616), aged 19, British settler traveling aboard the ship "Safety" arriving in Virginia in 1635 15
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Holland Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Peter Holland, who arrived in Virginia in 1701 13
  • Symond Holland, who arrived in Virginia in 1705 13
  • Richard Holland, who landed in Virginia in 1717 13
  • Johannes Holland, who arrived in America in 1723 13
  • Johan Ernst Holland, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1752 13
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Holland Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Charles Holland, aged 25, who landed in New York in 1812 13
  • Charles Holland, who arrived in New York, NY in 1812 13
  • James Holland, who arrived in New York in 1822 13
  • William Holland, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1823 13
  • John Holland, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1836 13
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Holland Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Mr. William H. Holland, (b. 1883), aged 22, Cornish miner from St. Day, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "St Paul" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 17th December 1905 en route to Bisbee, Arizona, USA 16

Canada Holland migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Holland Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • James Holland, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750
  • Mr. Hannah Holland U.E. who settled in Carleton [Saint John City], New Brunswick c. 1784 17
  • Mr. John Holland U.E. born in New Hampshire, USA who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 he was a Sheriff for Saint John in 1792 he died in 1806 17
  • Mr. Joseph W Holland U.E. who settled in Carleton [Saint John City], New Brunswick c. 1784 17
  • Ensign Richard Holland U.E. born in Massachusetts, USA who settled in Dipper Harbour, New Brunswick c. 1784 he served in the Queen's Rangers and was part of the Port Matoon Association 17
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Holland Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Denis Holland, aged 24, a carpenter, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the brig "Charity" from Kinsale, Ireland
  • John Holland, aged 27, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the brig "William" from Cork, Ireland
  • James Holland, aged 30, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Ann & Mary" from Cork, Ireland
  • Johannah Holland, aged 28, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Ann & Mary" from Cork, Ireland
  • Michael Holland, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1835
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia Holland migration to Australia +

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

Holland Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Richard Holland, (b. 1783), aged 24, English farmer who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years for theft, transported aboard the "Duke of Portland" in January 1807, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1867 18
  • Mr. Thomas Holland, English convict who was convicted in Sussex, England for life, transported aboard the "Baring" in April 1815, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 19
  • Mr. Samuel Holland, Welsh convict who was convicted in Denbigh, Denbighshire, Wales for 7 years, transported aboard the "Baring" in December 1818, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 19
  • Mr. John Holland, English convict who was convicted in Surrey, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Canada" on 23rd April 1819, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 20
  • Mr. Richard Holland, British Convict who was convicted in Leicester, Leicestershire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" on 11th August 1820, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 21
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Holland 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:

Holland Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Charles Holland, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1841 aboard the ship Arab
  • George Holland, aged 40, who landed in Nelson, New Zealand in 1842 aboard the ship Bolton
  • Mr. Holland, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Thames" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 25th November 1849 22
  • Mrs. Holland, British settler with 3 children travelling from London aboard the ship "Thames" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 25th November 1849 22
  • Mr. Michael Holland, Cornish settler travelling from Launceston, UK aboard the ship "Border Maid" arriving in New Zealand in 1851 23
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

West Indies Holland 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. 24
Holland Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • Mr. John Holland, (b. 1619), aged 15, British settler travelling from London, UK arriving in St Christopher (St. Kitts) on 5th January 1634 13
  • Mr. Robert Holland, (b. 1615), aged 19, British settler travelling from London, UK arriving in St Christopher (St. Kitts) on 5th January 1634 13
  • Mr. Abrahm Holland, (b. 1616), aged 19, British settler travelling aboard the ship "Expedition" arriving in Barbados in 1636 25
  • John Holland, who settled in Jamaica in 1661

Contemporary Notables of the name Holland (post 1700) +

  • Jerome H. Holland (1916-1985), American university president and diplomat, the first African American to play football at Cornell University in 1939, Ambassador to Sweden (1970-1972), recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom
  • Clarence Adrian Holland (1929-2023), American politician who served in the Virginia Senate from the 7th district from 1984 to 1996
  • Patricia Terry Holland (1942-2023), American educator, writer, and religious leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
  • Michael Terrence Holland (1942-2023), American college athletics administrator and basketball player and coach
  • Allyn A. "Sonny" Holland (1938-2022), American football player and head coach at Montana State University from 1971 to 1977
  • Randy J. Holland (1947-2022), American jurist, Associate Justice of the Delaware Supreme Court (1986-2017)
  • W. S. "Fluke" Holland (1935-2020), American drummer who played with Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash in the bands The Tennessee Three, and The Great Eighties Eight
  • James Frederick Holland (1925-2018), American physician and Distinguished Professor of Neoplastic Diseases at the Icahn School of Medicine
  • Willis S. Holland (b. 1825), American politician, Delegate to Missouri State Constitutional Convention 15th District, 1865
  • William J. Holland, American politician, Mayor of Iowa City, Iowa, 1951-54
  • ... (Another 133 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Halifax Explosion
  • Mr. James Robert  Holland (1880-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 26
HMS Hood
  • Mr. Francis H Holland (b. 1915), English Stoker 2nd Class serving for the Royal Navy from Middlesbrough, Yorkshire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 27
  • Mr. Charles Holland (b. 1906), English Marine serving for the Royal Marine from Manchester, Lancashire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 27
HMS Prince of Wales
  • Mr. Victor J Holland, British Leading Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 28
  • Mr. Arnold Holland, British Marine from Plymouth, England, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking, was later killed in action in 1942 28
HMS Repulse
  • Mr. James J Holland, British Ordinary Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 29
HMS Royal Oak
  • Cecil Holland (1912-1939), British Ordnance Artificer 4th Class with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 30
RMS Lusitania
  • Mrs. Nina Holland, American 2nd Class passenger from New York, New York, USA, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and survived the sinking 31
RMS Titanic
  • Mr. Thomas Holland (d. 1912), aged 28, English Reception Steward from Liverpool, Lancashire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 32
USS Arizona
  • Mr. Fred M. Holland, American Seaman First Class working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he survived the sinking 33
  • Mr. Claude Herbert Holland Jr., American Seaman Second Class from Alabama, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 33

Suggested Readings for the name Holland +

  • Gone to Texas: A Compendium of the Dulaney, Haddox, Heaton, Holland and Martin Families by Mary Rebecca Scott.
  1. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  3. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  4. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  5. 'Townships: Scarisbrick', in A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 3, ed. William Farrer and J Brownbill (London, 1907), pp. 265-276. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol3/pp265-276 [accessed 21 January 2017].
  6. Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital
  7. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  8. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  9. "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
  10. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  11. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  12. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  13. 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)
  14. Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  15. Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved October 5th 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  16. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
  17. 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
  18. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/duke-of-portland
  19. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baring
  20. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/canada
  21. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
  22. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  23. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  24. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  25. Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's retrieved 29th September 2021. Retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  26. Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance
  27. H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
  28. HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
  29. HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html
  30. Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html
  31. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
  32. Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html
  33. Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html
Houseofnames.com on Facebook