Explore the Family Name Holyoak
The meaning of Holyoak
English (Leicestershire): habitational name from Holy Oakes (Leicestershire) or else a topographic name from residence near a ‘holy oak’ (or ‘gospel oak’), from Middle English holy ‘holy’ + oke ‘oak’ (Old English hālig + āc). This oak would have marked a parish boundary where, during the annual beating the bounds on Rogation Days, a halt was made for a Gospel reading.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Holyoak in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Holyoak has seen an increase in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Holyoak was ranked 32,094th in popularity, but by 2010 it had risen to the 28,587th spot. This represents a change of almost 11%. Similarly, the count of individuals with the Holyoak surname also increased over this period. There were 678 individuals with this surname in 2000 and this number rose to 834 by 2010, a significant increase of 23.01%. The proportion per 100k people also saw an increase from 0.25 in 2000 to 0.28 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #32,094 | #28,587 | 10.93% |
| Count | 678 | 834 | 23.01% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.25 | 0.28 | 12% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Holyoak
Turning to ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows that the Holyoak surname is overwhelmingly associated with individuals who identify as White. In 2000, 97.79% of individuals with the Holyoak surname identified as White, and this figure remained high at 97.12% in 2010 despite a slight decrease. Interestingly, the data shows a small representation of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and those identifying with two or more races. In 2000, there were no individuals with the Holyoak surname who identified as Asian/Pacific Islander, but this changed slightly by 2010 with a representation of 1.32%. Likewise, the percentage of individuals identifying with two or more races decreased from 1.47% in 2000 to 1.08% in 2010. The census data reported no individuals with the Holyoak surname identifying as Hispanic, Black, or American Indian and Alaskan Native in both years.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 97.79% | 97.12% | -0.69% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 1.32% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 1.47% | 1.08% | -26.53% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |