Given name & surname
Holt
“from the forest”
Holt is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “from the forest.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One English interpretation is “from the forest.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is English.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1906. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Holt through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,924
- 1,924 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2019
- 87 babies
- 2025
- 81
- #1,924 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +11%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 81 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,924 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 11.2% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 87 in 2019. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (14). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,372 as a first name in 2020; 82,517 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Holt’s family of names
Holt has a related form in Holtar. Holt has a related form in Holte. Holt has a related form in Holter.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 10
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Holtervariant
- Holtzvariant · German
- Holtyrvariant
- Holtirvariant
- Holturvariant
- Holtorvariant
- Holtarvariant
- Holytevariant
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People named Holt
- Holt McCallanyAmerican actor, writer, and producerborn 1963
- Holt CollierConfederate Army soldier1846–1936
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Holt, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Locke
“man of the forest” · “from the fortress”
>99% boys
Woods
“a woman of the forest” · “a man of the forest”
98% boys · 2% girls
Jett
“resembling the jet-black lustrous gemstone”
98% boys · 2% girls
Hudson
“one who is adventurous; an explorer” · “the son of Hugh; from the river”
99% boys · 1% girls
Bentley
“from the meadow of bent grass”
95% boys · 5% girls
Hockley
“from the high meadow”
>99% boys
Horsley
“from the horse meadow”
>99% boys
Hernley
“from the heron's meadow”
>99% boys