Hollister comes from an English surname, an occupational name for a brothel-keeper. It comes from Old French holier/hollier, a variant of horier meaning “pimp”, from an agent noun of hore, hure (whore) which derives from a PIE root word. Hollister could also have originated as a locational surname for someone who lived near a holly tree or a holly grove; it comes from Old English holen, holegn (holly) which comes from Proto-Germanic *hulisaz (butcher’s broom; holly) derived from a PIE root word.
Origin: Proto-Indo-European
Variants:
- Hollier (English)
Names Throughout the Ages 