Surname Hollingshead - Meaning and Origin

Hollingshead: What does the surname Hollingshead mean?

The last name Hollingshead is of English origin. It is a locational surname derived from a place name meaning "at the head of the small valley". The name was given to a person who was from a place by this name, for example, living at, or near, a hill-shaped valley near a river.

It is possible that the people who originally received the name were the inhabitants of a hill-shaped valley near a river or that the first person to use the name was born in such a place. Alternatively, the surname may have been acquired through marriage or inheritance.

The Hollingshead surname is derived from the Olde English words "holh" and "ingas", and the word "heafod", meaning valley, people and head respectively. It is thought that the name was first used in the 12th century, although the exact origins remain unknown.

Today, the surname is most commonly found in England, although it can also be found in some parts of Scotland, Ireland and Wales. The name is also fairly common in the United States, due to the influx of English immigrants.

With its diverent origins, the name Hollingshead can mean different things for different families. While it can have references to living in a particular valley, for some it can simply be a representation of their English lineage.

Hollingshead: Where does the name Hollingshead come from?

The surname Hollingshead is not particularly common today, but the name is most commonly found in the United States. It is still used in England and Wales, too, due to its clear English origin. Hollingshead is a medieval English name derived from the town of Huddersfield, from the family holdings of the same name.

The name Hollingshead has changed form over the centuries, with similar surnames such as Hollingworth and Hollingsworth being seen. Other US surname variants include Hollingsed, Hollingsworth and Hollingswrit.

In the US, the states of Mississippi, California, and North Carolina have more people bearing the Hollingshead surname than any others. These states are generally regarded as "hot spots" in the US for Hollingshead families.

Worldwide, the presence of this surname is concentrated in Canada, Australia, England, and the United States, mostly due to migration. It may be found scattered across other countries as well, due to more recent migration practices.

Overall, the surname Hollingshead is not especially common today, although it can still be found in some parts of the United States and other countries.

Variations of the surname Hollingshead

The surname Hollingshead is an Anglo-Saxon surname and is derived from the old English word "Holweg" which means a hollow or low, frequented spot. Variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin include Hollingshead, Hollinghead, Hollenshead, Hollingshed, Hollinshead, Hollinshed, and Hollinshied.

The name Hollingshead originated as a place-name when people took on the name of a village from which they resided. It is also thought that many people with the last name took their surname from the nickname or physical feature of an early ancestor. Examples of nicknames derived from physical attributes are "Hollinger", "Holly" and "Head".

The earliest recorded occurrence of the Hollingshead surname was in 1421 in the county of Sussex, England. Records show John de Holneshed was living at the time. In 1686, Robert Hollingshead was recorded as living in Staffordshire, England and was later buried in 1719 in Barton under Needwood. The name is also recorded in some early Colonial American records, with Thomas Hollingshead born in 1681 in Pennsylvania.

Today the surname Hollingshead is most common in the United Kingdom, although it also has presence in other English-speaking countries, such as the United States, Canada, and Australia. It is also common in countries throughout Europe.

Famous people with the name Hollingshead

• Nicola Hollingshead: multimedia artist and sculptor from London.
• David Hollingshead: Grammy award winning British record producer, mixer, engineer and composer.
• Mandy Hollingshead: award-winning London-based rock and pop singer and songwriter.
• Derek Hollingshead: American track and field athlete who competed in the 1960 Summer Olympics.
• Norman Hollingshead: professional footballer who played for Bolton Wanderers in 1930s.
• David Hollingshead: animated film director, voice actor and video game designer.
• Dean Hollingshead: American professional golfer and winner of the 1998 Canadian Amateur.
• Douglas Hollingshead: Zimbabwean professor of social and political thought at the University of Edinburgh.
• Alfred Hollingshead: English merchant and writer who published a number of works on trade and commerce in the 1660s.
• D. Ray Hollingshead: American professor and former dean at the University of South Carolina.

Other surnames

Hollingshed