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| Origins Available: |
| | England |
In ancient Anglo-Saxon England, the ancestors of the Holyoke surname lived beside a religious marker known as the holy oak or beside a tree known as the evergreen-oak.
The surname Holyoke was first found in Warwickshire from very ancient times, and were Lords of the manor of Morton Bagot.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Holyoke research. Another 78 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1624, 1637 and 1676 are included under the topic Early Holyoke History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Holyoke 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 Holyoke include: Hollyoak, Hollyoake, Holyoak, Holyoake, Holleyoak, Holleyoake, Holeyoak, Holeyoake, Holeyoke, Hollyoke, Holleyoke, Hollyhock, Hollihock, Holehock, Hollehock and many more.
Distinguished members of the family include
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 Holyoke or a variant listed above: