Show ContentsHollenbeck History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Hollenbeck is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when the family lived in Hallam, a place name found in Yorkshire and Derbyshire. In the Domesday Book of 1086, this place is called Hallum. 1 In Yorkshire, Hallam is found in the South Riding.

Further research revealed that the name is derived from the Old Scandinavian word hallr, or from the Old English word hall, both of which meant "stony." The place name meant "the stony place, the place at the rocks." 2

In Derbyshire there is a place called West Hallam and another called Kirk Hallam. These names are derived from the Old English word halh, which meant "remote nook of land." Kirk in the Old English meat "church;" the name as a whole would be "church in a remote place," while West Hallam was a "remote place in the west." 3

Early Origins of the Hollenbeck family

The surname Hollenbeck was first found in Yorkshire at Hallam or perhaps at Halling, a village on the North Downs in the northern part of Kent that dates back to Saxon times in the 8th century when it was first listed as Hallingas. 3

By the time of the Domesday Book of 1086, the place name was known as Hallinges, 1 and literally meant "settlement of the family of a man called Heall, " from the Old English personal name + "ingas." 3

A scan of early rolls revealed Adam de Hallum in the Subsidy Rolls for Yorkshire in 1297 and John de Hallum in Lancashire in 1328. Richard de Halom was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Derbyshire in 1327 and Henry de Halom held lands in Yorkshire in 1392. 4

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Willelmus de Hallom and Elena de Hallum. 5

In Scotland, the name was "probably a late introduction from England. Janet Hallam was in the Carse of Twynholm, 1758. John Hallum or Hallume was hanged for being a Covenanter, 1685." 6

Early History of the Hollenbeck family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hollenbeck research. Another 91 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1250, 1360, 1370, 1403, 1405, 1417 and 1537 are included under the topic Early Hollenbeck History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hollenbeck Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Hollenbeck 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. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Hollenbeck include: Hallam, Halam, Hallum and others.

Early Notables of the Hollenbeck family

Notables of the family at this time include Robert Hallam (d. 1417), an English churchman, Bishop of Salisbury and English representative at the Council of Constance. He was Chancellor of the University of Oxford from 1403 to 1405. He was born probably between 1360 and 1370, and educated at Oxford. 7John Hallam (d. 1537), was an English "conspirator, a native of Cawkill, Yorkshire, and had much local influence and popularity. A determined Romanist he strenuously opposed the king's supremacy and the suppression of the monasteries. When the priest announced at Kilnskill that the king had suppressed St. Wilfrid's day, Hallam angrily...
Another 112 words (8 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hollenbeck Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hollenbeck Ranking

In the United States, the name Hollenbeck is the 4,600th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 8


Hollenbeck migration to the United States +

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 Hollenbeck or a variant listed above:

Hollenbeck Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Martin Hollenbeck, who landed in Cincinnati, Oh in 1869-1870 9

Contemporary Notables of the name Hollenbeck (post 1700) +

  • John Hollenbeck, American jazz drummer and composer from
  • Larry Hollenbeck (b. 1949), American NASCAR driver
  • Don Hollenbeck (1905-1954), American CBS newscaster and commentator and colleague of Edward R. Murrow
  • John Edward Hollenbeck (1829-1885), American businessman and investor
  • William K. Hollenbeck, American politician, U.S. Collector of Internal Revenue for Dakota Territory, 1874-77 10
  • Stephen M. Hollenbeck, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Albany County 1st District, 1854 10
  • Robert P. Hollenbeck, American Democratic Party politician, Member of New Jersey State House of Assembly 36th District; Elected 1975 10
  • Lawrence D. Hollenbeck, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Michigan 4th District, 2000, 2002; Chair of Gratiot County Democratic Party, 2003 10
  • Harold Capistran Hollenbeck (b. 1938), American Republican politician, Member of New Jersey State Legislature; U.S. Representative from New Jersey 9th District, 1977-83 10
  • George M. Hollenbeck, American Libertarian politician, Candidate for Texas State Senate 15th District, 1992; Candidate for U.S. Representative from Texas 18th District, 1994 10
  • ... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  2. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  3. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  4. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  5. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  6. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  7. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  8. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  9. 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)
  10. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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