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Holman (surname)

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Holman
Origin
Meaning"holy man", "dweller in a hollow", "dweller by holly", "dweller on an island"
Region of originEngland, Netherlands
Other names
Variant form(s)Hollman, Holeman

Holman is an English and Dutch surname first recorded in Essex, England in the subsidy rolls of 1327. There are variants including Hollman and Holeman. It is uncommon as a given name.[1]

There are three main theories as to the meaning of the name, one occupational and two topographical:[2][3]

  • "Holy man" – stemming from the Old English words Hol or Hool, meaning holy.
  • "Dweller in a hollow (hole)" – stemming from the Old English hohl, meaning hollow or hole.
  • "Dweller by a holly tree/Dweller on an island" – from Middle English holm, meaning holly or island.

Notable Holmans

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People with the surname or its variants include:

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Reaney P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991
  2. ^ Colleta, John P. They Came in Ships. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1993.'
  3. ^ Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, 2013