Holtere History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancient roots of the Holtere family name are in the Anglo-Saxon culture. The name Holtere comes from when the family lived as tenants or occupiers of land. The surname Holtere 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 Holtere family

The surname Holtere 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 Holtere family

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

Holtere Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Holtere has appeared include Holder, Holdere, Holders and others.

Early Notables of the Holtere 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 Holtere Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Holtere family

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Holtere arrived in North America very early: Christopher Holder settled in Boston in 1656, later moving to Newport R.I.; Elizabeth Holder settled in Virginia with her husband, John, in 1638; Nicholas and Meltih Holder settled in Barbados in 1679 with their servants..

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)