Holman (surname)

Holman
Origin
Meaning	"holy man", "dweller in a hollow", "dweller by holly", "dweller on an island"
Region of origin	England, Netherlands
Other names
Variant form(s)	Hollman, Holeman

Holman is an English and Dutch surname first recorded in Essex, England in the subsidy rolls of 1327. There are variants including Hollman and Holeman. It is uncommon as a given name.^[1]

There are three main theories as to the meaning of the name, one occupational and two topographical:^[2]^[3]

"Holy man" – stemming from the Old English words Hol or Hool, meaning holy.
"Dweller in a hollow (hole)" – stemming from the Old English hohl, meaning hollow or hole.
"Dweller by a holly tree/Dweller on an island" – from Middle English holm, meaning holly or island.

Notable Holmans

People with the surname or its variants include:

Adrian Holman (1895–1974), British diplomat
Benjamin Holman (1930–2007), American newspaper and television reporter
Bernard Holman (1941–1988), British-New Zealand artist
Bill Holman (cartoonist) (1903–1987), American cartoonist
Bill Holman (musician) (1927–2024), American songwriter and musician
Bob Holman, American poet
Brad Holman (born 1968), American Major League Baseball pitcher
Brett Holman (born 1984), Australian Association football forward
Brian Holman (born 1965), American Major League Baseball pitcher
C. Hugh Holman (1914–1981), American literary scholar
Cal Holman (1931–2007), American politician
Clare Holman (born 1964), British actress
Claude Holman (1904–1973), American attorney and politician
Cliff Holman (1929–2008), American television personality
David Holman, American television producer
Derek Holman (1931–2019), British choral conductor, organist, and composer
Derk Holman (1916–1982), Dutch ceramist and sculptor
Diana Holman-Hunt (1913–1993), British memoir writer and art critic
Dorothy Holman (1883–1968), British tennis player
Eddie Holman (born 1946), American singer
Edward Holman (1904–1951), Australian politician
Emily Elizabeth Holman (1854–1925), American architect
Francis Holman (1729–1784), British maritime painter
Frank B. Holman (1930–2005), American politician
Frank E. Holman (1886–1967), American attorney
Frederick Holman (swimmer) (1885–1913), British breaststroke swimmer, Olympic gold medal winner
Frederick Van Voorhies Holman (1852–1927), American attorney and civic leader
Gary Holman (baseball) (born 1944), American baseball player
Gary Holman (politician), Canadian politician
Grant Holman (born 2000), American Major League Baseball pitcher
Hannah Holman, American fashion model
Hans-Jørgen Holman (1925–1986), Norwegian-American musicologist and educationalist
Harm Holman (born 1957), Dutch politician
Harry Holman (1842–1947), American actor
J. Martin Holman (born 1957), American translator of Japanese literature
James Holman (1786–1857), British traveller and writer
James Sanders Holman (1804–1867), American politician
Jeffrey Paparoa Holman (born 1947), New Zealand poet, writer, and academic
Jerry Holman, American basketball player
John Holman (engineer) (1819–1890), Cornish founder of Holman Brothers
John Holman (NASCAR) (1918–1975), American NASCAR owner
John Holman (politician) (1872–1925), Australian politician
John Holman (British Army officer) (1938–2011), British Army officer and first-class cricketer
John Holman (writer) (born 1951), American short story writer
Joseph George Holman (1764–1817), English actor and dramatist
Joseph W. Holman (1890–1952), American architect
Keith Holman (1927–2011), Australian rugby league footballer
Kwame Holman, American journalist, correspondent, producer and reporter
Libby Holman (1904–1971), American singer
Lucia Ruggles Holman (1793–1886), teacher and letter writer; first American woman to sail around the world
Lydia Holman (1868–1960), American nurse who dedicated her life to promoting rural public health
M. Carl Holman (1919–1988), African-American author, poet and playwright
Marshall Holman (born 1954), American professional bowler
Matthew J. Holman (born 1967), American astrophysicist
May Holman (1893–1939), Australian politician
Michael Holman (priest), British former headmaster of Wimbledon College
Michael Holman (filmmaker), American artist, writer, filmmaker and musician
Nat Holman (1896–1995), American Hall of Fame basketball player
Nels Holman (1861–1946), American politician
Nicholas Holman (1771–1862), Cornish engineer, father of John Holman of Holman Brothers
Pablo Holman (born 1988), Chilean musician, member of the band Kudai
Patrick Holman (born 1945), English cricketer
Percy Holman (1891–1978), British politician
Portia Holman (1903–1983), Australian child psychiatrist
Ralph Holman (1917–2012), American biochemist
Ralph M. Holman (1914–2013), American attorney and senior judge
Ray Holman (born 1944), Trinidadian musician
Rex Holman (born 1935), American film and television actor
Rodney Holman (born 1960), American football player
Rufus C. Holman (1877–1959), American politician
Ryan Holman (born 1986), Dutch soccer player
Scott Earl Holman (born 1954), American jazz musician
Sheri Holman (born 1966), American writer
Steve Holman (sportscaster) (born 1954), American sports broadcaster
Theodor Holman (born 1953), Dutch author, script writer, and journalist
Tomlinson Holman, American film technologist
Walter Holman (born 1949), American football player
William Holman (1871–1934), British-born Australian politician
William S. Holman (1822–1897), American attorney, judge, and politician
Willie Holman (1945–2002), American football player
William Steele Holman (1822–1897), Indiana Congressman

References

^ Reaney P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991
^ Colleta, John P. They Came in Ships. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1993.'
^ Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, 2013

This page lists people with the surname Holman.
If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding the person's given name(s) to the link.

[1] Reaney P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991

[2] Colleta, John P. They Came in Ships. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1993.'

[3] Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, 2013

[1]

[2]

[3]

Notable Holmans

See also

References