Project: Holder

German: topographic name for someone who lived by an elder tree Middle High German holder or a topographic or habitational name referring to a house named for its sign of an elder tree. In same areas for example Alsace the elder tree was believed to be protective of a house. Jewish (Ashkenazic): artificial name from German Holder ‘elder tree’. English: status or occupational name from Middle English holdere haldere heldere ‘tenant; servant retainer; laborer’ an agent derivative of holden ‘to hold’ (Old English healdan). Compare Helder English: in Yorkshire from a local pronunciation of Holdsworth .

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022

Spellings:

• Holder
• Holdere
• Holders
• Helder
• Holmer
• Holler
• Halder
• Molder
• Golder
• Dolder
• Hodder

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