The Holliday surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 20,491 people carried this name — #1,748 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 14,400 people counted. That is up 5% from 19,488 in 2000.

See Holliday on the map Look up another surname

Share

What the name means

The meaning of the Holliday surname

English surname from the noun holiday.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Holliday» (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 baptismal name, from a given name: ‘the son of Haliday’.

An early record he cites: Richard Haliday, Buckinghamshire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers Halliday, Haliday and Holliday.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 350 · public domain.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Holliday was found among the farmers of Yorkshire, North and East Ridings: 9 in every 10,000.

Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent. His list gives one count for the spellings Holliday and Holyday.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Yorkshire, North and East Ridings 9

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

96 families named Holliday, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 530 people lived in those households, 5.5 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 13 other spellings. 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

Pennsylvania 20
Virginia 19
North Carolina 15
New York 12
Maryland 10
South Carolina 6
Vermont 5
Connecticut 5
Massachusetts 4

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. 246 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Holliday in American newspapers,
1918.

Newspaper page from The Free Press carrying the name Holliday
The Free Press 1918-09-12
Newspaper page from The Free Press carrying the name Holliday
The Free Press 1918-09-26
Newspaper page from The Free Press carrying the name Holliday
The Free Press 1918-09-05

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain.

In print

Holliday in Australian newspapers,
1830s–2000s.

14,881 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Holliday. The most, 3,613, date from the 1910s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in South Australia, at 1.7 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 4,790
South Australia 2,683
Queensland 2,620
Victoria 2,568
Tasmania 1,290
Western Australia 762
ACT (Canberra) 81
Northern Territory 8

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

Who carried it

People named Holliday,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Leonard Holliday
    Leonard Holliday 1550–1612
  • John Robert Holliday d. 1800
  • Adam Holliday 1680–
  • Samuel Holliday 1710–
  • William Holliday 1755–
  • Read Holliday 1809–1889

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 Holliday,
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 States1,506 records

1,506 records of the Holliday name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 694
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 326
  • Other U.S. records 486
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Raymond F. Holliday

    Born 1929; from Augusta County, Virginia. U.S. Army, light weapons infantryman; killed in action 1951 in North Korea. Buried at Staunton National Cemetery, Virginia.

    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 Terrell C. Holliday

    Born 1913 in Texas. Enlisted 1942 at Houston; cook from Walker County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 2001, buried at Houston National Cemetery, Texas.

    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 Rebecca Holliday

    Arrived at New York in 1885 aboard the Britannic from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 26; helper. From Liverpool, England.

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

Showing 3 of 1,506 records for Holliday 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) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). 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).

Australia557 records

557 records of the Holliday name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 192
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 144
  • Other Australian records 221
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record James Holliday

    Died 1904 in Westbury, Tasmania. Will registered in Tasmania in 1905.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. 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 Robert Holliday

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Marquis of Hastings, arriving 1826; ticket of leave 1839. Native of Stepney.

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

    Arrived in Victoria in 1911 aboard the Moravian, aged 42.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 557 records for Holliday 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) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); 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).

Canada111 records

111 records of the Holliday name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 60
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 14
  • Other Canadian records 37
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Wm Holliday

    Came to Ontario in 1875 aboard the Sarmatian, landing at Portland, bound for Ingersoll, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Donalda Rebecca Holliday

    Buried in 1998 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 75.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Maggie Maud Holliday

    Died 1946 in Hillsburn, Annapolis, Nova Scotia.

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

Showing 3 of 111 records for Holliday in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · 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. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

United Kingdom48 records

48 records of the Holliday name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 29
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 19
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Susna Holliday

    Buried in 1806 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 27.

    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 A. W. Holliday

    Border Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Albion Holliday

    Buried in 1822 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 30.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Showing 3 of 48 records for Holliday in the United Kingdom.

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).

New Zealand5 records

5 records of the Holliday name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record William James Holliday

    Died 1936, aged 65; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Thomas Holliday

    Died 1967, aged 79; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Ivory Holliday

    Died 1912, aged 65; buried at Sydenham Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 5 records for Holliday in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France2 records

2 records of the Holliday 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 Isabelle Marie Holliday

    Born 1897 in Paris; died 1991 in Guiscard (Oise).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record William Holliday

    Born 1956 in the United Kingdom; died 1991 in Aix-en-Provence (Bouches-du-Rhône).

    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).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Holliday.

When the index is not enough

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

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Holliday volume
Scroll to Top