Holm
A topographic surname for someone who lived by a holm—low land, a river island, or an area near water.
The #2,701 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 23,143 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Holm comes from a northern English and Scandinavian word for low-lying land, especially a river island, a patch of flat ground near water, or a small island in a stream. The underlying word appears in Old English and Old Norse forms meaning “island” or “low land by water.” As a surname, it would originally have identified someone living at or near such a place.
History
The name is especially at home in northern England and in Scandinavian countries, where the word was common in local place-names and topographic descriptions. In Britain, related forms such as Holmes and Holmer developed alongside it, and the same element appears in many place-names. Because it is a short, ordinary topographic word, it can arise independently in more than one place.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same holm element turns up in place-names like Chisholm, where it still signals a small island or river-meadow type landscape.
From the historical record
“OLDHAM (Eng.) Dweller at i the Old En- closure or Field [O.E. e)ald + hamm} 2 the Old Holm (Riparian Land) , [Dial. E. holm, river-island, 'flat land near \ water '; O.E. Mm] Oldham, Lanes, early 13th ceiit. Aid- holm', 14th cent. Oldom, has three rivers,”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)