2000
#7,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.53
Rare Last name
Holliman
A surname of English origin, derived from a place name meaning "hollow man," likely referring to a thin man.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,696 Americans carry the last name Holliman. That puts it at #7,777 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.37 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 72,989 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Holliman surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Holliman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.7K
1 in 72,989
Census rank
#7,777
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,095 bearers of the surname Holliman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.37 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7777th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Holliman, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.2%. The next largest groups are Black (39.1%) and Two or More Races (5.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Holliman
The surname HOLLIMAN is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the northern English county of Yorkshire. It is thought to have derived from the Old English words 'hol' meaning 'hollow' and 'mann' meaning 'man'. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in a hollow or valley.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname HOLLIMAN can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1301, where it appears as 'Holyman'. This spelling variation indicates that the name likely evolved from its original Old English roots over time.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the HOLLIMAN surname began to spread across various regions of England, with records showing individuals bearing the name in counties such as Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. This dispersion was likely due to migration and the establishment of new settlements.
In the late 15th century, a notable figure named John HOLLIMAN was recorded as a member of the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers in London. This guild played a significant role in the city's textile trade during that era, suggesting that John HOLLIMAN may have been a prosperous merchant or tradesman.
In the 17th century, the HOLLIMAN surname appears in various parish records and historical documents across England. For instance, Robert HOLLIMAN, born in 1625, was a renowned clockmaker and watchmaker based in London, whose work was highly sought after by the wealthy and aristocratic classes of his time.
Another noteworthy individual bearing the HOLLIMAN name was Thomas HOLLIMAN, born in 1689, who served as a British Army officer during the Nine Years' War and later fought in the War of the Spanish Succession. He rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and was commended for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield.
In the 18th century, the HOLLIMAN surname continued to be found across various parts of England, with some individuals migrating to the American colonies and establishing new roots there. One such individual was William HOLLIMAN, born in 1745 in Yorkshire, who later settled in Virginia and became a prosperous landowner and farmer.
As time progressed, the HOLLIMAN surname continued to be represented across different professions and walks of life, from scholars and clergy members to artists and entrepreneurs. This demonstrates the rich and diverse history associated with this surname, spanning multiple centuries and regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Holliman
Among Census respondents with the surname Holliman, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.2%. The next largest groups are Black (39.1%) and Two or More Races (5.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Holliman bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Holliman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White52.2% · 2,137
- Black or African American39.1% · 1,600
- Two or more races5.3% · 217
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 104
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 24
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Holliman
Holliman appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#7,265
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,586
+466 bearers (+11.3%)
Per 100,000 1.55
Rank movement Up 181 places
2020
#7,777
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,095
-491 bearers (-10.7%)
Per 100,000 1.37
Rank movement Down 512 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,446 | 4,120 | 1.53 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,265 | 4,586 | 1.55 | +466 bearers (+11.3%) | Up 181 places |
| 2020 | #7,777 | 4,095 | 1.37 | -491 bearers (-10.7%) | Down 512 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Holliman surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,265 | #7,777 | -7.0% |
| Count | 4,586 | 4,095 | -10.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.55 | 1.37 | -11.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Holliman bearers went from 4,586 to 4,095 (-10.7% change). The surname moved down 512 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,265 to #7,777.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Holliman
FAQ
Holliman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Holliman?
Name Census estimates that about 4,696 living Americans carry the surname Holliman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 72,989 residents.
How common is Holliman?
Holliman ranks #7,777 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.37 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,095 people with the surname Holliman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,696), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.37 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.37 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Holliman.
Has Holliman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Holliman went from 4,586 recorded bearers to 4,095. That is a decrease of 491 (-10.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,265 to #7,777.
What does the Census say about the background of Holliman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Holliman, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.2%. The next largest groups are Black (39.1%) and Two or More Races (5.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Holliman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 52.2% (2,137 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Holliman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (52.2%), Black (39.1%), Two or More Races (5.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Holliman (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Holliman mean?
A surname of English origin, derived from a place name meaning "hollow man," likely referring to a thin man. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Holliman (1.37 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Holliman?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.