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There are approximately 12,398 people named Halliday in the UK. That makes it the 814th most common surname overall. Out of every million people in the UK, approximately 196 are named Halliday.

Region of origin

British Isles

Country of origin

Scotland

Language of origin

Gaelic

Religion of origin

Christian

Classification

Celtic


Related and similar surnames

Haliday
Holliday
Holiday
Holladay
Haladay
Haldy
Halda
Holyday
Hailliday
Halidaye
Hailiday
Haillyday
Hailyday
Halida
Halidae
Halidays
Halidai
Halidaiy
Halidas
Haliaday
Halidais
Halidey
Halid
Halidayt
Halidy
Halidee
Halidaie

The Halliday surname in historical dictionaries

An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names (1857)

"Holy-day." It is said this name had its origin in the Slogan, or war-cry of a Gaelic clan residing in Annandale, who made frequent raids on the English border. On these occasions they employed the war-cry of "A holy-day," every day, in their estimation, being holy, that was spent in ravaging the enemy's country.

Arthur, William (1857) An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. New York: Sheldon, Blakeman. Public Domain.

Patronymica Britannica (1860)

HALLIDAY. A well-known Scottish border clan, who from their great animosity against the Southron are said to have adopted the -svar-cry or slogan of A Holy Day, (Scottice, " a Haly Day "), because the chiefs and people of Annandale, whenever they made a o-aid or foray upon the Saxon border, accounted the day spent in rapine and slaughter a holy one. Burke's Commoners, ii. 1 27. In the XIII. century the name began to be coimuon on the soutli of the Tweed. There were English Hallidays in our Scottish and French wars under Edw. in. and lieu. V. The Hallidays of the western counties descend from Walter Halliday, called the jUinstrcl, who was master of the revels to King Edward IV., and acquired lauds at Rodborough, co. Gloucester. B.L.G.

Lower, Mark A (1860) Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom. London: J.R. Smith. Public Domain.

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