Show ContentsHolle History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Welsh name Holle derives from the Old English word "holh" meaning "hole." It is thought to have originally been a name for someone who lived in a round hollow or near a pit. As such, the surname Holle belongs to the class of topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees.

Early Origins of the Holle family

The surname Holle was first found in Monmouthshire (Welsh: Sir Fynwy), where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some even say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Holle family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Holle research. Another 104 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1609, 1654, 1672, 1741, 1742 and 1769 are included under the topic Early Holle History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Holle Spelling Variations

Welsh surnames are relatively few in number, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. There are many factors that explain the preponderance of Welsh variants, but the earliest is found during the Middle Ages when Welsh surnames came into use. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, which often resulted in a single person's name being inconsistently recorded over his lifetime. The transliteration of Welsh names into English also accounts for many of the spelling variations: the unique Brythonic Celtic language of the Welsh had many sounds the English language was incapable of accurately reproducing. It was also common for members of a same surname to change their names slightly, in order to signify a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations. For all of these reasons, the many spelling variations of particular Welsh names are very important. The surname Holle has occasionally been spelled Hoyle, Hoile and others.

Early Notables of the Holle family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was Edmond Hoyle (1672-1769), English writer and authority on card games, originator of the phrase 'according to Hoyle.' "Hoyle is said to have been called to the bar. In 1741 he was living in Queen Square, London, and gave lessons on whist-playing. He also circulated a manuscript handbook, which developed into his famous 'Short Treatise on the Game of Whist,' first printed in 1742. In the early editions the author offers for a guinea to disclose the secret of his ' artificial memory which does not take off your...
Another 98 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Holle Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Holle Ranking

In the United States, the name Holle is the 15,478th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [1]

Ireland Migration of the Holle family to Ireland

Some of the Holle family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Holle migration to the United States +

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many people from Wales joined the general migration to North America in search of land, work, and freedom. These immigrants greatly contributed to the rapid development of the new nations of Canada and the United States. They also added a rich and lasting cultural heritage to their newly adopted societies. Investigation of immigration and passenger lists has revealed a number of people bearing the name Holle:

Holle Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Michael Holle, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1750 [2]
  • Abraham Holle, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1765 [2]
  • Johannes Holle, who arrived in New York, NY in 1782 [2]
  • Gottfried Holle, who arrived in America in 1782 [2]
  • Gottlieb Holle, who landed in America in 1783 [2]
Holle Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Joh Henr Holle, who arrived in America in 1813-1820 [2]
  • Johann Friedrich Holle, who landed in America in 1839 [2]
  • Carl Holle, who landed in America in 1851 [2]
  • John Henry Holle, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1872 [2]

Contemporary Notables of the name Holle (post 1700) +

  • Walter A. Holle, American politician, Member of West Virginia State House of Delegates from Doddridge County, 1891-94, 1907-08 [3]


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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