Holborn History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Holborn family

The surname Holborn was first found in Greater London at Holborn. 1 2 This place dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was listed as Holeburne. 3

It literally means "hollow stream," "stream in a hollow," from the Old English "hol" + "burna." 4 5

Bald de Holeborn was the first listing of the family here in the Pipe Rolls of 1193. The Feet of Fines for Surrey listed John de Holeburne 1296-1297 and Stephen de Holbourne was found in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1364. 6

Early History of the Holborn family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Holborn research. Another 72 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1597, 1615, 1643, 1644 and 1647 are included under the topic Early Holborn History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Holborn Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Holborn are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Holborn include Holborn, Holbourne, Holborne, Hoborn, Hobourne, Hoborne, Holburne and many more.

Early Notables of the Holborn family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Anthony Holborne (fl. 1597), was an English musical composer, possibly a member of Queen Elizabeth's Chapel Royal. He published two volumes which in total had 97 pieces. 7
Sir Robert Holborne (d. 1647), was an English lawyer, the son of Nicholas Holborne of Chichester. "He was trained for the law, as the custom then was, at Furnival's Inn, before proceeding to Lincoln's...

Holborn 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:

Holborn Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Miss Ann Holborn, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Maori" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 3rd November 1859 8

Contemporary Notables of the name Holborn (post 1700) +

Hanna Holborn Gray (b. 1930), American historian of Renaissance and Reformation political thought and Professor of History Emerita at the University of Chicago, Acting President of Yale University (1977–1978), recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html