Holder History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 


The name Holder has a long Anglo-Saxon heritage. The name comes from when a family lived as tenants or occupiers of land. The surname Holder 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 Holder family

The surname Holder 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 Holder family

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

Holder Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Holder have been found, including Holder, Holdere, Holders and others.

Early Notables of the Holder family

Distinguished members of the family include

Holder Ranking

In the United States, the name Holder is the 857th most popular surname with an estimated 34,818 people with that name. 3 However, in the United Kingdom, the name Holder is ranked the 990th most popular surname with an estimated 7,022 people with that name. 4


Holder migration to the United States +

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Holder, or a variant listed above:

Holder Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Holder Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Holder Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Holder migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Holder Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Holder migration to Australia +

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

Holder Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Holder 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:

Holder Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Holder 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. 11
Holder Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Holder (post 1700) +
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