Surname Holway - Meaning and Origin
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Holway: What does the surname Holway mean?
The last name Holway is most likely English in origin. Some researchers believe that the name is derived from one of two places, either from a locality near the River Holw in Sussex, or from a place called Holewey in the county of Wiltshire.
In both cases, the name derives from the Old English word hōh meaning “Height” or “mound” and leāh meaning “woodland clearing”. Put together, the name could mean a “height in the wood” or “woodland clearing on a mound”.
An alternative source for the name might be derived from someone who worked with holly, which is an evergreen shrub or tree that is a native to Britain. Holly or holway was used in medieval England to make spindles and other items; as a result, the surname might have been given to a person who worked with this plant.
Ultimately, it is not known in all cases which origin of the surname Holway is accurate, but it can be assumed that the origin of the name can be found in the surrounding environments of medieval England. Appearance of the surname in records of the period show that it is an old and distinguished name.
Order DNA origin analysisHolway: Where does the name Holway come from?
The surname Holway is most commonly associated with two geographical areas today. The first is a small village called Holway in the county of Somerset, located in southwestern England. This village is thought to have been founded in Saxon times, and the surname Holway has associations to early families living in the area during this period.
The second area where Holway is fairly common is the East Coast of the United States, where the surname is linked to colonial origins in the late 17th century. Evidence suggests that a major influx of immigrants from the UK to the eastern seaboard of the US was the main source of the Holway surname in the region. Families bearing the name migrated out to a variety of states in America, including Pennsylvania, New York, and Massachusetts.
The Holway name remains reasonably common in both the UK and US today. There are a variety of people bearing the name who can trace their genealogy back to these two areas of origin.
Variations of the surname Holway
The variant spellings for the surname Holway include Holeway, Holoway, Holwere, Holwar, Holware, Holwood, Holwor, Holwy, Haleway, and Hawlway. It is also spelled as Halloway, Halwey, Halway, and Hallway. The surname Holway is originally of Anglo-Saxon, Norman, and British origin, and is derived from various locales, including Hallaway in Shropshire and Holoways in Wiltshire.
The surname Holway is also associated with a variety of other spellings derived from various languages and dialects. For example, its Welsh spelling is Hoolway, and its French spelling is L'Hollway. Additionally, the Anglo-Saxon form of the name is Havalewaeg.
Other surnames related to the Holway name include Halaugh, Hally, Holage, Holaways, Holbache, Holback, and Hallaway. These alternative spellings are used in various parts of the United Kingdom and Ireland.
The surname is also connected to variants of other names, such as">< Hallaway, Halleway, Hellaway, Allaway, Alloway, and Hollwey. The surname Holway is also often used as the variant for Halliwell, Hollywell, Hollis, Hollaway, and Hallaway.
In conclusion, it can be said that the surname Holway has many different spellings, variants, and related surnames. It is important to note that all of these variations are derived from various cultures, languages, and geographical locations.
Famous people with the name Holway
- Elinore Holway: American movie actress who appeared in more than 120 films between the 1910s and 1950s.
- Zachary Holway: American actor who appeared in the television film Fearless Kid Cha-Cha.
- Eric Holway: American entrepreneur best known for creating the modern retail holiday Black Friday.
- Jonathan Holway: American educator and geologist who set out to prove that the Earth's core was molten.
- Jim Holway: American Olympic rower and lawyer who won the bronze medal in men's single sculls at the 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games.
- Peter Holway: American journalist and author who wrote The Washington Post Office Murder.
- Thomas Holway: Indian photographer credited with taking the "Cowboys and Indians" photo which appeared in many magazines.
- Burton Holway: American politician and attorney who served as Rhode Island Attorney General from 1961 to 1971.
- Jonathan Holway Jr: American actor, director, and producer who created the television series My Two Dads.
- Kathryn Holway: American handball player who won an Olympic silver medal in the women's team handball event at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.