Show ContentsOldernes History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Oldernes is a name of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin and comes from a family once having lived in the Holderness district in the East Riding of Yorkshire. It is now found in the county of Humberside. The place-name is derived from the Old Scandinavian words holdr, a landholding held by a member of the yeomanry, and nes, a promontory or headland.

Early Origins of the Oldernes family

The surname Oldernes was first found in East Riding of Yorkshire at Skipsea. "The manor is one of those which have continued members of the seigniory of Holderness to the present day. In the 12th of Edward III., the king granted a market to the place, to be held on Thursday in every week, and two fairs to be held annually, one on All Saints' day, and the other on the day of the translation of St. Thomas the Martyr." 1

Early History of the Oldernes family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Oldernes research. Another 76 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Oldernes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Oldernes Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Oldernes has been recorded under many different variations, including Holderness, Holdernesse, Houlderness and others.

Early Notables of the Oldernes family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

  • Holderness of Lincolnshire

Migration of the Oldernes family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Oldernes or a variant listed above: Henry Holdernesse arrived in Philadelphia in 1807; Edward and William Holderness settled in Philadelphia in 1820.



  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.


Houseofnames.com on Facebook