Holloman
A surname most likely meaning “holy man,” originally a nickname for a priest or friar.
The #4,708 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 40,969 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is generally treated as a spelling variant of Holliman or Holyman, from Middle English elements meaning “holy” and “man.” In that reading, it began as a nickname or descriptive label for a religious person, especially a priest or friar. The older sources also connect it with forms such as Hollyman and Holman, but the core idea is the same: “holy man.”
History
Nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century surname scholars grouped Holloman with Holliman and similar forms, and treated it as a nickname surname rather than a place-name. The name survives in several spellings, with Holloman especially found in English-speaking countries and later in the United States. As with many medieval nicknames, the original religious sense may have become blurred as the surname was inherited.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Early surname writers explicitly glossed Holloman as “the holy man.”
From the historical record
“H0U711] an, Holleym&n , Hoi- man, Hol^nuui, HoUiman. Holloman^olyman. — ( i ) Nick. ' the holy man," i. e, the priesl, the friar. With Hollyman, cf. Holly- well, or hoUvhoch and holiday. The shorter Holman must be re- ferred to H. E. hooi or hoi, holy”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instances