Contents [hide]

Holman History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Holman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Holman is a name whose history dates far back into the mists of early British times to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes. It is a name for a holy man who was a priest or friar. The surname Holman originally derived from the Old English word Hol or Hool. Another reference claims the name was derived from the Old English words "holh" + "mann" and literally meant "dweller by a hollow." 1

Early Origins of the Holman family

The surname Holman was first found in Essex, where one of the first records of the name was John Holman, Holeman who was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327. 1

Early History of the Holman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Holman research. Another 90 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1307, 1593, 1633, 1638, 1659, 1661, 1669, 1685, 1700 and 1730 are included under the topic Early Holman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Holman Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Holman has been recorded under many different variations, including Holman, Hollman, Holeman and others.

Early Notables of the Holman family

Notables of the family at this time include

Philip Holman (c. 1593-1669), an English merchant and politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1659, High Sheriff of Northamptonshire in 1638; Philip Holman, High Sheriff of Herefordshire in 1633...
William Holman (d. 1730), English antiquary, a congregational minister at Stepney, Middlesex, whence he was transferred to Halstead, Essex, in 1700. 2

Holman Ranking

In the United States, the name Holman is the 785^th most popular surname with an estimated 37,305 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Holman family to Ireland

Some of the Holman 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.

Holman migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Holman or a variant listed above:

Holman Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Edward Holman, who settled in Plymouth Massachusetts in 1621
Edward Holman, of Surrey who arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1623 aboard the ship "Anne" 4
John Holman, aged 28, who settled in Nantasket Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Mary & John"
William Holman, who settled in Cambridge Massachusetts in 1630
Edward Holman, who arrived in Boston in 1632 aboard the ship "Lyon"
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Holman Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Solomon Holman, who landed in New England in 1703 4
Michael Holman, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1794 4

Holman Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Joseph George Holman, who landed in America in 1812 4
John W Holman, who arrived in Texas in 1835 4
Isaac Holman, who arrived in Texas in 1835 4
Mr. John Holman, (b. 1807), aged 30, Cornish miner departing from Falmouth aboard the ship"Royal Adelaide" arriving in the United States on 8th May 1837 5
Mr. S. Holman, (b. 1791), aged 50, Cornish settler departing from Falmouth aboard the ship "Cornwall" arriving in the United States on 3 June 1841 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Holman Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Mr. John Holman, (b. 1872), aged 28, Cornish miner travelling aboard the ship "St Louis" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 8th April 1900 en route to Iron River, Michigan, USA 6
Mr. Claude Holman, (b. 1898), aged 4, Cornish settler from Redruth, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Lucania" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 26th July 1902 en route to Butte, Montana, USA 6
Mrs. Elizabeth Holman, (b. 1870), aged 32, Cornish settler from Redruth, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Lucania" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 26th April 1902 en route to Butte, Montana, USA 6
Mrs. Lilly Holman, (b. 1883), aged 19, Cornish settler from Redruth, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Lucania" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 26th July 1902 en route to Butte, Montana, USA 6
Mr. Thomas Holman, (b. 1865), aged 37, Cornish miner from Redruth, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Lucania" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 26th July 1902 en route to Butte, Montana, USA 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Holman migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Holman Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century

Herbert Holman, who landed in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1907

Holman migration to Australia +

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

Holman Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Holman, English convict who was convicted in Devon, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Eden" on 27th August 1836, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 7
G. Holman, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Rajasthan" in 1838 8
Henry Charles Holman, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Rajasthan" in 1838 8
John Holman, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Recovery" in 1839 9
Mary Holman, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Recovery" in 1839 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Holman 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:

Holman Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

H C Holman, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1841
Mr. Simon Holman, British settler as part of the 8th Detachment of the Royal New Zealand Fencibles travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Oriental Queen" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 18th September 1849 10
Mr. Henry Holman, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Solent" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 30th July 1857 10
Edward Holman, aged 22, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Accrington" in 1863 11
Mary Ann Holman, aged 24, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Accrington" in 1863 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Holman (post 1700) +

Lee Holman (1954-2015), American basketball player, best known for his work with the Harlem Globetrotters
Ralph Milo Holman (1914-2013), American attorney and judge, 74th Associate Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court (1965-1980)
Major-General Jonathan Lane Holman (1897-1975), American Assistant to the Commandant of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces (1948) 12
Bill Holman (b. 1927), American jazz arranger
Frank Ezekiel Holman (1886-1967), American Rhodes Scholar attorney
Rufus Cecil Holman (1877-1959), American politician, U.S. Senator from Oregon (1939-45)
John Holman (1918-1975), American NASCAR owner
Harold William Holman (1957-2020), English professional footballer who played as a forward for Exeter City and Peterborough United (1976-1979)
Joseph George Holman (1764-1817), English actor and dramatist, born in August 1764, son of John Major Holman of St. Giles's, Middlesex, an ensign and adjutant in the British service, who died when his son was two years of age 13
James Holman (1786-1857), English blind traveller, fourth child of a chemist and druggist of Fore Street, Exeter, where he was born on 15 Oct. 1786 13
... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Holman family +

RMS Lusitania

Mr. Frank Holman, English Third Waiter from England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and survived the sinking 14

RMS Titanic

Mr. Harry Holman, aged 27, English Able Seaman from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and survived the sinking escaping on life boat 7 15

Citations +

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
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to New York 1820 - 1891 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_new_york_1820_1891.pdf
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th October 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eden
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) RAJASTHAN 1838. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1838Rajasthan.htm
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) RECOVERY from London 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Recovery.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, March 30) Jonathan Holman. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Holman/Jonathan_Lane/USA.html
Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 4 August 2020
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html