Where Does the Holey Surname Come From?

Holey is a familiar spelling of the English name Holley. Taken at its root, Holey points to “Clearing in a hollow”. Without the “l” of Holley, Holey is a simpler written form of the same name. Local scribes, dialects and emigration all left their mark on how the name was written. Other spellings include Holly, Holle and Hollie.

The 2010 US Census counted 373 people named Holey, ranking it number 55,121 among American surnames.

Heraldry is personal: arms associated with the Holley surname were borne by specific families, and sharing the name does not mean sharing the blazon. Want more than a summary? See the Holey family name pack.