Show ContentsHolz History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Holz

What does the name Holz mean?

The Holz surname is derived from the Upper German word "holz," which means "forest." Thus many of the names that evolved from this root work have to do with living in the woods, or being in the lumber industry. For example, Holzhauer, means lumberjack.

Early Origins of the Holz family

The surname Holz was first found in Swabia, where the name came from noble beginnings and gained a significant reputation for its contribution to the emerging mediaeval society. The name Holz has been associated with the noble cantons of Kocher and Ottenwald, where the family was connected to the great ruling dynasty of the Hohenstaufens. It is believed that the Holz family possessed feudal forest rights, and the oldest traced descendant of this branch is Siegfried von Holtz, who lived in Wuerttemberg around 1120. It later became more prominent as many branches of the same house acquired distant estates and branches, some in foreign countries, always elevating their social status by their great contributions to society.

Early History of the Holz family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Holz research. Another 100 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1832 and 1910 are included under the topic Early Holz History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Holz Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Holtz, Holtze, Holz, Holze, Holzer, Holtzer, Holzman, Holtzman, Holtzmann, Holzmann, Holtzel, Holzel and many more.

Early Notables of the Holz family

Notables with the surname Holz during this period were

  • Georg Friedrich von Holz, who served in the Bavarian and Wuerttembergian forces

Holz Ranking

In the United States, the name Holz is the 14,035th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1


Holz migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Holz Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Erik Holz, aged 27, who landed in New York in 1841 2
  • W Holz, who landed in America in 1845 2
  • Elisabeth Holz, who landed in Texas in 1846 2
  • Christine Holz, who arrived in New York, NY in 1850 2
  • Maria Holz, who landed in North America in 1852 2
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Holz (post 1700) +

  • Gordon Francis Holz (1933-2015), American AFL football defensive tackle and offensive tackle who played from 1960 to 1964 for the Denver Broncos and the New York Jets
  • Cynthia Holz (b. 1950), American-born Canadian author
  • George Holz (b. 1956), American Grammy Award and Clio Award winning winning fashion and celebrity photographer, known for his work in GQ, InStyle, Vanity Fair, Glamour and Rolling Stone
  • Richard E. Holz (1914-1986), American brass band composer and Chaplain to the U.S. Air Force in New Guinea, Philippines and Japan
  • Friedel Holz (1920-1941), German international footballer
  • Romina Holz (b. 1988), German footballer
  • Paul Holz (b. 1952), retired German football midfielder
  • Marco Holz (b. 1990), German footballer
  • Arno Holz (1863-1929), Expressionist poet and writer born in East Prussia, best known for his poetry collection Phantasus (1898)
  • Karl Holz (b. 1952), current chairman and CEO of Euro Disney SCA


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)


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