Holt History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

Etymology of Holt

What does the name Holt mean?

Holt is a name whose history is connected to the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Holt family once lived near a grove or woods. The surname Holt originally derived from the Old English word holt which meant a "wood" or "grove." 1

Early Origins of the Holt family

The surname Holt was first found in Lancashire at Ashworth, a parochial chapelry in the parish of Middleton, union of Bury, hundred of Salford. "A family named Ashworth was seated here as early as the 13th century, and appears to have been succeeded by the Holts: Richard Holt, an active supporter of the royal cause in the civil war, had his estate sequestrated in 1643, but it was afterwards restored." 2

Hugo de Holte was a Knights Templar in Kent in 1185 and later Simon del Holt was listed in the Pipe Rolls for Warwickshire in 1230. Walter in the Holte was found in Somerset in 1260 and Hugh atte Holte was in Surrey in 1268. 3

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: Henry de la Holte, Worcestershire, and William del Holt, Yorkshire. 4

In Somerset, William atte Holte and Walter atte Holte were both listed 1 Edward III (during the first year of King Edward III's reign.) 5

"The Holts, of [Buckinghamshire], are, for the most part, gathered together in and around Aylesbury. The name occurred as Le Holt in the county six centuries ago, and also in the eastern counties of Norfolk, Essex, and Kent. Lancashire is also another great home of the name of Holt, which also extends into Cheshire." 6

An important branch of the family was found at Aston in Warwickshire. "The manor was purchased in 1366 from the heiress of de Maidenhach by John atte Holt, of Birmingham, and remained for many generations in the possession of his lineal descendants, of whom several were distinguished for their talents and for the important stations they occupied in society. Edward Holt, sheriff of the county in 1574, resided in the adjoining manor of Duddeston, there being at that time in Aston only an ancient house, probably of timber, situated on the bank of the River Tame near the church, and the site of which, now overgrown with trees, is discoverable only by part of the moat by which it was surrounded. On the demise of Edward Holt in 1593, the estate descended to his son Thomas, the most distinguished member of the family, who is represented by Dugdale as eminent for his literary acquirements. He was sheriff in 1600: on the arrival of James VI of Scotland to assume the crown of England, he attended that monarch in his route from Yorkshire, where he received the honour of knighthood; and in 1612 he was created one of the order of baronets, then recently instituted. Sir Thomas Holt enclosed the park, and erected the present stately Hall of Aston, unrivalled in these parts for beauty and magnificence, which he commenced in 1618, and completed in 1635." 2

Early History of the Holt family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Holt research. Another 219 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1190, 1387, 1418, 1495, 1545, 1571, 1578, 1597, 1599, 1603, 1608, 1616, 1624, 1640, 1642, 1649, 1654, 1656, 1679, 1682, 1686, 1689, 1710, 1713, 1722 and 1729 are included under the topic Early Holt History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Holt Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Holt family name include Holte, Holt and others.

Early Notables of the Holt family

Distinguished members of the family include

John Beauchamp de Holt, created Baron Kidderminster, by Richard III in 1387
John Holt (d. 1418), the English judge, "was a native and landowner of Northamptonshire, and his name occurs in the year-books from the fortieth year of Edward III onwards. In the last year of that re...
Thomas Holt (1578?-1624), was an architect, a native of York, born about 1578, is noteworthy for the important works in Renaissance architecture executed by him at Oxford. 7
William Holt (1545-1599), was a Jesuit, was born at Ashworth in Lancashire in 1545. 7
Sir John Holt (1642-1710), was an English lawyer, Lord Chief Justice of England from 17 April 1689 to his death. He was born at Thame, Oxfordshire, on 30 December 1642, was eldest son of Sir Thomas Ho...
The Holte Baronetcy of Aston in the County of Warwick, was a title in the Baronetage of England. This baronetcy included: Sir Thomas Holte, 1st Baronet (1571-1654), English owner of Aston Hall, Warwic...
Sir Thomas Holt (1616-1686), was an English lawyer and politician, Member of Parliament for Abingdon (1654-1656.)

Holt World Ranking

In the United States, the name Holt is the 291^st most popular surname with an estimated 92,019 people with that name. 8 However, in Australia, the name Holt is ranked the 372^nd most popular surname with an estimated 9,888 people with that name. 9 And in New Zealand, the name Holt is the 577^th popular surname with an estimated 1,231 people with that name. 10 The United Kingdom ranks Holt as 283^rd with 21,662 people. 11

Migration of the Holt family to Ireland

Some of the Holt family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 34 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Holt migration to the United States +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Holt surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Holt Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Randall Holt, aged 18, who arrived in Virginia in 1620 aboard the ship "George" 12
Randolph Holt, who arrived in Virginia in 1621 12
Nicholas Holt, who arrived in Newbury, Massachusetts in 1635 12
William Holt, aged 19, who arrived in Bermuda, (Somers Islands) in 1635 aboard the ship "Truelove"
Mathew Holt, who settled in Virginia in 1645
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Holt Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Henry Holt, who arrived in Virginia in 1701 12
Ismaell Holt, who arrived in Virginia in 1704 12
Mary Holt, who landed in Virginia in 1714 12
George Holt, who arrived in Virginia in 1717 12
Ezekiel Holt, who settled in Georgia in 1741 with his wife and son
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Holt Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Gerh Holt, who landed in America in 1836 12
Neil J Holt, who landed in Mobile, Ala in 1849 12
James Holt, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1850 12
Ole Holt, who landed in Texas in 1853 12
Samuel Holt, aged 28, who landed in New York in 1864 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Holt migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Holt Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Benjamin Holt, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1749
Berry Holt, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750
Mr. Moses Holt U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 13

Holt Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Orrin Holt, who arrived in Canada in 1839
Valentine Holt, who landed in Esquimalt, British Columbia in 1862

Holt migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Holt Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century

Mr. John Holt, English convict who was convicted in York, Yorkshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Barwell" in September 1797, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 14

Holt Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Holt, (Heoo), English shoe maker who was convicted in Sussex, England for life for burglary, transported aboard the "Fame" on 9th October 1816, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 15
James Holt, English convict from Middlesex, who was transported aboard the "Almorah" on April 1817, settling in New South Wales, Australia 16
Mr. William Holt, (b. 1800), aged 20, English shoe maker who was convicted in London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Earl St Vincent" on 6th April 1820, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 17
Mr. William Holt, English convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Claudine" on 20th May 1821, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 18
Mr. John Holt, British Convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Countess of Harcourt" on 8th April 1821, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 19
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Holt migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Holt Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. James Holt, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Nourmahal" arriving in Dunedin, Otaga, South Island, New Zealand on 5th May 1858 20
Robert Holt, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "William Watson" in 1859
Mr. Holt, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "William Watson" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 8th February 1859 21
Mrs. M. Holt, British settler with 4 children travelling from London aboard the ship "William Watson" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 8th February 1859 21
Mr. Robert Holt, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "William Watson" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 8th February 1859 21
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Holt migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 22

Holt Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Mr. Humphrey Holt, (b. 1617), aged 18, British settler travelling aboard the ship "The Dorset" arriving in Barbados in September 1635 23

Holt Settlers in West Indies in the 18th Century

Joseph Holt, who landed in Barbados in 1712-1713 12

Contemporary Notables of the name Holt (post 1700) +

Isaac "Redd" Holt (1932-2023), American Grammy Award winning jazz and soul music drummer
Georgia Holt (1926-2022), born Jackie Jean Crouch, an American singer-songwriter, actress, and model, mother of singer and actress Cher
Marjorie Sewell Holt (1920-2018), American politician, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Maryland (1973-1987)
Matthew Francis Holt (1977-2017), American heavy metal singer
Helen Louise Froelich Holt (1913-2015), American politician, Secretary of State of West Virginia (1957-1959)
Nancy Holt (1938-2014), American artist most known for her public sculpture, installation art and land art
Andrew David "Andy" Holt (1904-1987), American educator, 16th President of the University of Tennessee
Col. Thomas Michael Holt (1831-1896), American industrialist and politician, 47th Governor of North Carolina (1891 to 1893)
David Jack Holt (1927-2003), American child actor
Torrance "Torry" Jabar Holt (b. 1976), former American college and professional NFL football wide receiver
... (Another 21 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Holt family +

Empress of Ireland

Mr. Robert Armor Holt, British Bedroom Steward from United Kingdom who worked aboard the Empress of Ireland (1914) and survived the sinking 24

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. Ronald Holt, British Stoker, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 25
Mr. John Edgar Holt, British Petty Officer, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 25

HMS Repulse

Mr. John Francis Holt, British Ordnance Artificer 4th Class, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and died in the sinking 26

RMS Lusitania

Master William Robert Grattan Holt, Canadian 1st Class Passenger from Montréal, Quebec, Canada going to Marlborough College in Wiltshire, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and survived the sinking 27

St. Francis Dam

Mrs. Mary Cordelia Holt, (nee Whitehead), American resident in Santa Clarita killed when the St. Francis Dam failed and flooded the area in 1928
Mr. Howard Edward Holt, American resident in Santa Clarita killed when the St. Francis Dam failed and flooded the area in 1928
Mrs. Veva Ann Holt, (nee Pursley), American resident in Santa Clarita killed when the St. Francis Dam failed and flooded the area in 1928

The Holt Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Exaltavit humiles
Motto Translation: He hath exalted the humble.

Citations +

Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 29th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barwell
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 27th September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fairlie
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Almorah voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1817 with 180 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/almorah/1817
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 10th September 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-st-vincent
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th February 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/claudine
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/countess-of-harcourt
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's retrieved 29th September 2021. Retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/