Sample Maps from the
GermanNames Program
Distribution of the HOLST family in Germany:
This surname is an example of a moderately common surname (3638 listings) with a major
concentration in a single area. The majority of
the HOLST families are found in the area around Hamburg and in Schleswig-Holstein and
Niedersachen (Lower Saxony). Although the name is found in all the other German states
except Saarland and Thuringia, 67% of the listings are in those three locations. Although this
information does not provide you with a single town name in which to start your search, it
can direct you to the proper state archives in which to start your research. Writing to the
appropriate state archives with the details on your immigrant ancestor may then lead you to the village of their origin.
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Copyright 1998 by McCrea Research, Inc.