Holman (surname)
Appearance
Origin | |
---|---|
Meaning | "holy man", "dweller in a hollow", "dweller by holly", "dweller on an island" |
Region of origin | England, Netherlands |
Other names | |
Related names | Hollman, Holeman |
Holman is an English and Dutch surname first recorded in Essex, England in the subsidy rolls of 1327, but likely dating to before the Norman conquest. There are variants including: Hollman and Holeman. It is uncommon as a given name.[1]
There a 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 holh, 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) (b. 1927), American songwriter and musician
- Bob Holman, American poet
- Brad Holman (b. 1968), American Major League Baseball pitcher
- Brett Holman (b. 1984), Australian Association football forward
- Brian Holman (b. 1965), American Major League Baseball pitcher
- Cal Holman (1931 – 2007), American politician
- Clare Holman (b. 1964), British actress
- Cliff Holman (1929 – 2008), American television personality
- David Holman, American television producer
- Derek Holman, (b. 1931), 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 – ?), British tennis player
- Eddie Holman (b. 1946), American singer
- Edward Holman, 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 (disambiguation)
- Gary Holman (disambiguation)
- Hannah Holman, American fashion model
- Hans-Jørgen Holman (1925 – 1986), Norwegian-American musicologist and educationalist
- Harry Holman (1842 – 1947), American actor
- J. Martin Holman (b. 1957), American translator of Japanese literature
- James Holman (1786 – 1857), British traveller and writer
- James Sanders Holman (1804 – 1867), American politician
- Jerry Holman, American basketball player
- John Holman (NASCAR) (1918 – 1975), American NASCAR owner
- John Holman (politician) (1872 – 1925), Australian politician
- John Holman (writer) (b. 1951), American short story writer
- Keith Holman (b. 1927), Australian rugby league footballer
- Libby Holman (1904 – 1971), American torch singer
- M. Carl Holman (1919 — 1988), African-American author, poet and playwright
- Marshall Holman (b. 1954), American professional bowler
- Matthew J. Holman (b. 1967), American astrophysicist
- May Holman (1893 – 1939), Australian politician
- Michael Holman (priest), British former headmaster of Wimbledon College
- Michael Holman (hip hop artist), American hip hop artist
- Nat Holman (1896 – 1995), American basketball player
- Nels Holman (1861-1946), American politician
- Pablo Holman (b. 1988), Chilean musician, member of the band Kudai
- Patrick Holman (b. 1945), English cricketer
- Percy Holman (1891 – 1978), British politician
- Ralph Holman (b. 1917), American biochemist
- Ralph M. Holman (b. 1914), American attorney and senior judge
- Ray Holman (b. 1944), Trinidadian musician
- Rodney Holman (b. 1960), American football player
- Rufus C. Holman (1877 – 1959), American politician
- Ryan Holman (b. 1986), Dutch soccer player
- Scott Earl Holman (b. 1954), American jazz musician
- Sheri Holman (b. 1966), American writer
- Steve Holman (sportscaster) (b. 1954), American sports broadcaster
- Theodor Holman (b. 1953), Dutch author, script writer and journalist
- Tomlinson Holman, American film technologist
- Walter Holman (b. 1949), American football player
- William Holman (1871 – 1934), British-born Australian politician
- William S. Holman (1822 – 1897), American lawyer, judge and politician
- Willie Holman (1945 – 2002), American football player