Holt
A surname for someone who lived by a small wood, grove, or copse.
The #358 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 3,527 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Holt comes from the Old English word holt, meaning a wood, copse, or small grove. In English place-names and by-names, it could describe someone who lived by such a wooded place or who came from a locality called Holt. The related sense in later English usage is simply “woodland.”
History
The name appears early in English records and is especially associated with places called Holt in several counties, including Norfolk, Wiltshire, Worcestershire, and Leicestershire. It also shows up in medieval forms such as De Holt, Dela Holt, and Le Holt. Because it could be either topographic or locational, the same surname may have arisen independently in more than one family line.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In older English, holt could mean a small wood or grove, a sense still preserved in some place-names.
From the historical record
“Holstein. HOLT. Halliwell says a grove, or small forest. On the South Downs generally, if not always, it is a small hanging wood. See other definitions in Eng. Surn. i. 75.' Leo says copse or wood, corresponding with the Germ. holz. The H.R. forms are De, Dela, Del, and Le Holt. There are towns and places…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom