Holer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the name Holer date back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Holer family lived as tenants or occupiers of land. The surname Holer 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 Holer family

The surname Holer 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 Holer family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Holer 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 Holer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Holer 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 Holer 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 Holer include: Holder, Holdere, Holders and others.

Early Notables of the Holer 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...
Another 46 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Holer Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Holer migration to the United States +

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 Holer or a variant listed above:

Holer Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

George Holer, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1761 3

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)
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)