Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Holley” come from?

Holley is an English surname of uncertain origin, possibly derived from Holly, an English plant name with roots in Old English holegn.

Ancestry of “Holley”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishHolly—
2Middle EnglishhollyAlternative form of holy
3Old Englishholeġn—
4Proto-West Germanichulisholly
5Proto-Indo-Europeankel-to hit; beat; to pierce, to stab; goblet
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kel- →