Submitted Surname Revision History

Occupational name for a male brothel keeper, from a dissimilated variant of Old French #horier# "pimp", which was the agent noun of #hore# "whore, prostitute". #Hollier# was probably also used as an abusive nickname in Middle English and Old French. As an English surname it may in some cases derive from Middle English #holi(e)# or #holin# meaning "holly (tree)", denoting a person who lived by a holly grove or a conspicuous holly tree.