Updated June 9, 2019

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Family name origins & meanings

  • English and French : occupational name for a brothelkeeper, Middle English, Old French holier, hollier (a dissimilated variant of horier ‘pimp’, agent noun from hore, hure ‘whore’, of Germanic origin). It was probably also used as an abusive nickname.
  • English : topographic name for someone who lived by a holly grove or conspicuous holly tree, from a derivative of Middle English holi(e), holin ‘holly (tree)’ (from Old English hold(g)n).