Holliday

Meaning of Holliday

Holliday is a feminine given name of English provenance, ultimately rooted in the Old English haligdæg—literally “holy day”—a term that originally designated ecclesiastical feast days and later evolved into a hereditary surname. In its contemporary Anglo-American deployment, the name exemplifies the surname-to-forename transfer phenomenon, conveying both a respectful nod to ancestral onomastic traditions and an implicit resonance with festal observance and restorative interlude. U.S. birth-registration data reveal a pattern of intermittent yet sustained selection—11 occurrences recorded in 2023, corresponding to a rank of 947—which indicates a deliberate, niche preference rather than broad popularization. Cultural resonance is further reinforced by notable bearers such as the distinguished jazz vocalist who adopted Holiday as a professional surname, thereby endowing the name with associations of artistic refinement and enduring legacy. Phonetically, Holliday is rendered in contemporary English as /ˈhɑlɪdeɪ/ in American usage and /ˈhɒlɪdeɪ/ in British usage, a bisyllabic structure marked by initial stress and an open vowel nucleus that reflects its lexical origin.

Pronunciation

American English

• Pronunced as HAH-li-day (/ˈhɑlɪdeɪ/)

British English

• Pronunced as HAH-li-day (/ˈhɒlɪdeɪ/)

• Holly
• Hollyn
• Holland
• Holley
• Hollace