Explore the Family Name Holly
The meaning of Holly
1. Irish: part-translation of Gaelic Mac Cuilinn (see McCullen), and in Ulster sometimes a variant of McQuillan 3, an Anglicized form of Mac Cuilinn. 2. English: variant of Holley. 3. Americanized form of Czech or Slovak Holý (see Holy).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Holly in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Holly has seen a slight change between 2000 and 2010. The rank of the name dropped from 3680 in 2000 to 3979 in 2010, signifying a decrease in its relative popularity by 8.13%. However, the count of people bearing the name Holly saw a slight increase of 0.88% from 8856 in 2000 to 8934 in 2010. Despite this minor increase in absolute numbers, the proportion of individuals with this surname per 100,000 people fell by 7.62%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,680 | #3,979 | -8.13% |
| Count | 8,856 | 8,934 | 0.88% |
| Proportion per 100k | 3.28 | 3.03 | -7.62% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Holly
The Decennial U.S. Census data also reveals some shifts in the ethnic identity associated with the surname Holly from 2000 to 2010. The largest ethnic group remains White, but their proportion decreased slightly from 68.13% to 66.33%. Meanwhile, the Hispanic representation grew by 66.88%, although they still constitute a small part of the total at 2.57% in 2010. Those identifying as Black saw a modest increase from 27.15% to 27.73%. Asian/Pacific Islander and those identifying under two or more races also increased their shares, while the American Indian and Alaskan Native percentage fell by 10.20%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 68.13% | 66.33% | -2.64% |
| Black | 27.15% | 27.73% | 2.14% |
| Hispanic | 1.54% | 2.57% | 66.88% |
| Two or More Races | 1.71% | 1.95% | 14.04% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.98% | 0.88% | -10.2% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.5% | 0.54% | 8% |
Holly ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Holly is British & Irish, which comprises 45.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (26.7%) and Eastern European (9.2%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Scandinavian, Nigerian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 45.2% |
| French & German | 26.7% |
| Eastern European | 9.2% |
| Other | 19.0% |
Possible origins of the surname Holly
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Holly have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 77.70% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 77.70% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 77.70% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 77.20% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 76.70% |
What Holly haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Holly is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-Z150 and R-U152, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Lacey, Boss, Webber, Slaughter, Ingram, Phillips, Sherman, Fletcher, Nicholls, Heim.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Holly surname are: H1, J1c, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Holly have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Holly" Surname 46.2%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Holly" Surname 29.5%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Holly" Surname 22.5%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Holly" Surname 26.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Holly?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Holly are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition