The Holcombe surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 8,103 people carried this name — #4,390 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 36,400 people counted. That is up 1% from 7,989 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Holcombe surname

A habitational surname from Old English.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Holcombe» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘of Holcombe’.

An early record he cites: John de Holecumbe, Somerset, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 391 · public domain.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

In 1790, Holcombe was counted together with Holcomb: 133 families in all.

Each family is counted by its head. About 740 people lived in those households, 5.6 to a family on average. The census counted these spellings together: Holcomb, Halcom, Halcomb, Halcombe, Holcom, Holcombe, Holcum, Holkum. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Connecticut 68
South Carolina 19
New York 13
Massachusetts 11
North Carolina 11
Vermont 6
Pennsylvania 3
Virginia 2

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 245 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Holcombe in American newspapers,
1904–1915.

Newspaper page from The Tacoma Times carrying the name Holcombe
The Tacoma Times 1914-03-25
Newspaper page from The Mirror And Farmer carrying the name Holcombe
The Mirror And Farmer 1904-05-26
Newspaper page from The Lynden Tribune carrying the name Holcombe
The Lynden Tribune 1915-01-28

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 54,185 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Holcombe in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1990s.

6,562 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Holcombe. The most, 1,732, date from the 1910s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in New South Wales, at 2.0 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 4,351
Victoria 1,102
Queensland 762
Tasmania 153
Western Australia 93
South Australia 60
ACT (Canberra) 17
Northern Territory 4

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Holcombe.

Who carried it

People named Holcombe,
with a public archive behind them.

  • William Holcombe
    William Holcombe 1804–1870 · politician
  • Anne Holcombe 1649–
  • John Holcombe 1682–1743
  • Samuel Holcombe 1711–1769
  • Richard Holcombe 1726–1783
  • Samuel Holcombe 1745–1817

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Holcombe,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States547 records

547 records of the Holcombe name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 326
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 99
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 60
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 26
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 14
  • Riverside Cemetery, Asheville (North Carolina) 10
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 10
  • U.S. service members who died in the Korean War 1
  • U.S. service members who died in the Vietnam War 1
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Thomas Marvin Holcombe

    Born 1948; from San Diego, California. U.S. Army, military police; died of wounds 1968 in Thua Thien, South Vietnam. Buried at Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery, Kansas.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Eskel T. Holcombe

    Born 1908 in Georgia. Enlisted 1942 at Fort McPherson Atlanta; textile mill worker from Polk County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1965, buried at Marietta National Cemetery, Georgia.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Essex Holcombe

    Arrived at New York in 1877 aboard the Montana from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 30; merchant. From England.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 547 records for Holcombe in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia135 records

135 records of the Holcombe name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 45
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 31
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 23
  • Tasmanian Names Index 20
  • NSW convict, estate and railway indexes 15
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Thomas Holcombe

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Royal George, arriving 1828; ticket of leave 1833. Native of Surrey.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Geo Holcombe

    Arrived in Victoria in 1885 aboard the John Elder, aged 34; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Mervyn Ewan Holcombe

    Farmer of Warrnambool, Victoria; died 2000.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 135 records for Holcombe in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Canada8 records

8 records of the Holcombe name in Canada
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 4
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 1
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 1
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 1
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Doreen Mackenzie Holcombe

    Buried in 1993 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 70.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  2. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Francis William Holcombe

    Died in service in 1943.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Euphenia Lent Holcombe

    Died 1922 in Freeport, Digby, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 8 records for Holcombe in Canada.

Counts: City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

United Kingdom3 records

3 records of the Holcombe name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 2
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Essex John Holcombe

    Buried in 1822 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 42.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record C. J. Holcombe

    Corporal, Royal Fusiliers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record W. S. Holcombe

    Bombardier, Royal Field Artillery. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

France1 record

1 record of the Holcombe name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Kenneth Holcombe

    Born 1927 in the United States; died 1994 in the United States.

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Netherlands1 record

1 record of the Holcombe name in the Netherlands Dutch population registers
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Alice Caroline Holcombe

    In the population register of Amsterdam; born 1852 in Londen.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Amsterdam (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Holcombe.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Holcombe is.
A volume says what happened to it.

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