Holsten
A masculine name of Germanic origin meaning "from Holstein" or "dweller in the hollow".
Name Census estimates that about 59 living Americans carry the first name Holsten. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Holsten today is around 5 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Holsten births was 2023 (19 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Holsten. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Holsten. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
59
~ 1 in 5,809,396 Americans
Peak year
2023
19 babies that year
Average age
5
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,395
Tracked since 2014
Popularity
Holsten: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Holsten from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 49 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Holsten by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Holsten during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Holsten
The name Holsten is a German name with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated from the German word "Holste," which means a small wooded area or grove. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or in a small forest.
In the early medieval period, the name was likely spelled as "Holsten" or "Holstyn" in various regions of Germanic Europe. It was particularly common in the areas that are now modern-day Germany, the Netherlands, and parts of Scandinavia. The name's early spellings and pronunciations would have varied based on local dialects and accents.
Historical records from the 12th and 13th centuries mention individuals with the name Holsten, although their exact identities and roles are often obscure. One of the earliest recorded instances is from a charter document in the city of Lübeck, Germany, dated 1187, which mentions a person named "Holsten von Lübeck."
In the 14th century, a German monk and writer named Holsten von Bremervörde (c. 1310-1390) gained recognition for his works on religious philosophy and theology. He was born in the town of Bremervörde, located in present-day Lower Saxony, Germany, and spent much of his life in monasteries in the region.
During the Renaissance period, a Dutch painter named Holsten van der Meer (c. 1520-1585) became known for his landscape paintings and portraits. He was born in the city of Haarlem, Netherlands, and his works were highly regarded in the Netherlands and parts of Germany.
In the 17th century, a German composer and organist named Holsten Matthisen (1621-1679) made significant contributions to the development of baroque music. He was born in Hamburg, Germany, and served as the organist at several prominent churches in the city.
Another notable figure was Holsten von Stade (1680-1743), a German military officer and statesman who played a crucial role in the War of the Spanish Succession. He was born in the city of Stade, located in present-day Lower Saxony, Germany, and served as a general in the Danish army.
While these are just a few examples, the name Holsten has been present throughout various periods of European history, particularly in German-speaking regions and the Low Countries. Its origins and evolution reflect the cultural and linguistic diversity of these areas, providing insights into the naming traditions and historical contexts of past eras.
People
Holsten + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Holsten as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with H
Other first names starting with H with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Holsten: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Holsten?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 59 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Holsten going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 5,809,396 US residents.
Is Holsten a common name?
We classify Holsten as "Very Rare". It ranks above 56.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 59 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Holsten most popular?
The single biggest year for Holsten was 2023, when 19 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Holsten is about 5 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Holsten in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Holsten a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Holsten in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Holsten still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Holsten in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Holsten can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Holsten as a first name?
If you just want to know how many people share the name Holsten, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.