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Holt

♂ Boy

Pronounced HOHLT /ˈhoʊlt/Medium

Meaning: From Old English holt 'wood, grove, small forest'.Low

In 30 seconds: Holt comes from the Old English word holt, meaning a 'wood', 'grove', or small forest.
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Origin MediumEnglish
MeaningFrom Old English holt 'wood, grove, small forest'.
U.S. rank (2024)#1920 ↘ Falling
2024 U.S. births82 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year2019
Total births (all-time)≈ 1,842

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 201919062024

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

History & Origin

This is a nature word turned name: in Old English, holt meant a stand of trees, a grove or small forest. It passed into use as a surname and place name before being adopted as a given name. The meaning stays plain and rooted in the landscape.

Actor Holt McCallany (born 1964) is a recognizable bearer. The name's single hard-edged syllable gives it a compact, sturdy sound that fits the wave of nature and surname names used for boys.

Did you know? Holt reached first-name use through an English topographic surname, from Old English holt meaning 'wood, small forest, grove', which gives it that modern borrowed-from-history feel.
Overall data confidence 62%
Behind the Name - Holt — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

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Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

  • ★Holt McCallany (1964–present)
    Male public figure listed on Behind the Name.

If you like Holt…

Holden— another Old English place-derived boy's name with the same 'hol-' opening
Heath— a fellow one-syllable English nature name for open or wooded land
Forrest— shares the woodland meaning in a longer form
Colt— matches the short, blunt single-syllable sound

Frequently Asked

What does the name Holt mean?

Holt means 'wood, small forest, grove', from the Old English word holt. It is an English topographic surname turned given name.

How do you pronounce Holt?

It's commonly said HOHLT /ˈhoʊlt/.

Is Holt a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Holt is used as a boy name.

How popular is Holt?

In 2024, Holt ranked #1920 in the U.S. for boys, with 82 births recorded.