Holden History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 
  Ireland 


The Holden name has descended through the generations from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. Their name comes from having lived in the county of Lancashire, where they held the estate of Holden in the parish of Haslingden.

Early Origins of the Holden family

The surname Holden was first found in Lancashire where "Holden was an estate in the parish of Haslingden. A family of that name early sprang from the place." 1.

"Lancashire is the great home of the Holdens. The ancient gentle family of the Holdens, of Holden, Haslingden, dates back to the 13th century; from it there branched off in the 16th century the Holdens of Todd Hall in the same parish. The Holdens of Ewood, Livesey, date back to the reign of Henry VIII. The Holdens of Aston, Derbyshire, who go back to the beginning of the 17th century, may hail from the Lancashire stock." 2

Other early records include: Robert de Holden, Lancashire, listed there during the reign of Henry III; and Magota de Holdene who was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls. The Wills at Chester list the following: Oliver Holden, of Haslingden, Lincolnshire in 1588; Adam Holden, of Spotland, Lancashire in 1596; and Catherine Holden, of Holden in 1685. The Preston Guild Rolls of 1642 list Ralph Holden de Holden. 1

Early History of the Holden family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Holden research. Another 104 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1285, 1539, 1571, 1578, 1580, 1583, 1596, 1599, 1618, 1623, 1662, 1710, 1778 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Holden History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Holden Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Holden has undergone many spelling variations, including Holden, Holdin, Holding, Houlden, Houldin, Howlin and many more.

Early Notables of the Holden family

Notables of the family at this time include

Holden World Ranking

In the United States, the name Holden is the 919th most popular surname with an estimated 32,331 people with that name. 4 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Holden is ranked the 721st most popular surname with an estimated 60 people with that name. 5 And in Australia, the name Holden is the 622nd popular surname with an estimated 6,264 people with that name. 6 New Zealand ranks Holden as 478th with 1,427 people. 7 The United Kingdom ranks Holden as 327th with 18,680 people. 8

Migration of the Holden family to Ireland

Some of the Holden family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 121 words (9 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Holden migration to the United States +

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Holden were among those contributors:

Holden Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Holden Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Holden migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Holden Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
Holden Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Holden migration to Australia +

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

Holden Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Holden 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:

Holden Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Holden migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 17
Holden Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Holden (post 1700) +


The Holden Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Nec temere nec timide
Motto Translation: Neither rashly nor timidly.


Suggested Readings for the name Holden +
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