Holter History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The present generation of the Holter family is only the most recent to bear a name that dates back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name comes from having lived as tenants or occupiers of land. The surname Holter 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 Holter family

The surname Holter 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 Holter family

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

Holter Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Holter include Holder, Holdere, Holders and others.

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

Holter Ranking

In the United States, the name Holter is the 9,555^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3

Holter migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Holter were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records:

Holter Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Mathew Holter, who landed in Virginia in 1664 4

Holter Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Johann Holter, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1754 4

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)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)