Holderness History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Holderness

What does the name Holderness mean?

The origins of the Holderness name come from when the Anglo-Saxon tribes ruled over Britain. The name Holderness was originally derived from a family having lived in the Holderness district in the East Riding of Yorkshire. It is now found in the county of Humberside. The place-name is derived from the Old Scandinavian words holdr, a landholding held by a member of the yeomanry, and nes, a promontory or headland.

Early Origins of the Holderness family

The surname Holderness was first found in East Riding of Yorkshire at Skipsea. "The manor is one of those which have continued members of the seigniory of Holderness to the present day. In the 12th of Edward III., the king granted a market to the place, to be held on Thursday in every week, and two fairs to be held annually, one on All Saints' day, and the other on the day of the translation of St. Thomas the Martyr." 1

Early History of the Holderness family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Holderness research. Another 76 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Holderness History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Holderness Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Holderness include Holderness, Holdernesse, Houlderness and others.

Early Notables of the Holderness family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Holderness of Lincolnshire

Holderness migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Holderness Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Abraham Holderness, who landed in New York in 1819 2
Edward and William Holderness, who settled in Philadelphia in 1820

Holderness migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Holderness Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

William Holderness, who arrived in Canada in 1815
Joseph Holderness, aged 36, a schoolmaster, who arrived in Quebec aboard the ship "Atlas" in 1815

Holderness migration to Australia +

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

Holderness Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

William Holderness, a painter, who arrived in New South Wales, Australia sometime between 1825 and 1832

Contemporary Notables of the name Holderness (post 1700) +

Fay Holderness (1881-1963), American vaudeville performer and film actress
Samuel M. Holderness, American politician, Secretary of Oregon Territory, 1848-49 3
George Holderness, American politician, U.S. Consular Agent in Ceará, 1884 3
Sue Holderness (b. 1949), English actress
Henry Holderness (1889-1974), New Zealand cricketer
Kate Holderness (b. 1984), British actress and singer
Sir Thomas William Holderness GCB, KCSI (1849-1924), 1st Baronet, the British first member of the Indian Civil Service
Rt. Rev. George Holderness (1913-1987), Dean of Lichfield

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 26) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html