Holmboe is a Norwegian family of Danish origin, whose name derives from the island group Hirsholmene (historically also called Hirtsholmene or Hersholmen) in Jutland, Denmark. The surname is thought to come from "Holmboerne," meaning "island dwellers."
The family was introduced to Norway in the early 18th century through the arrival of two brothers:
- Jens Olsøn Holmboe (1671–1743) – a senior priest who arrived at Vardal in 1705.
- Hans Olsøn Holmboe (1685–1762) – a senior military officer who came to Norway in 1716.
The family subsequently branched into two main lines, each producing a number of notable individuals in Norwegian public life, academia, the clergy, the military, and the arts.
Notable members
Jens Holmboe line (descended from Jens Holmboe, bailiff in Senja and Troms):
- Michael Holmboe (1791–1863) – priest and politician
- Even Holmboe (1792–1859) – priest and politician
- Hans Holmboe (1798–1868) – educator and politician
- Leonhard Holmboe (1802–1887) – priest and politician
- Conrad Holmboe (1828–1923) – military officer
- Jens Holmboe (1821–1891) – priest
- Othar Holmboe (1834–1919) – military officer
- Johan Henrik Holmboe (1863–1933) – military officer
- Thorolf Holmboe (1866–1935) – painter
- Svend V. Holmboe (1852–1923) – military officer
- Carl Holmboe (1882–1960) – military officer
- Cornelius Holmboe (1881–1947) – military officer
- Jens Holmboe (1880–1943) – botanist
- Thorolf Holmboe (1888–1973) – military officer
- Tone Groven Holmboe (1930–2020) – composer
- Adler Holmboe (1923–2014) – military officer
- Joachim Rønneberg (1919–2018) – resistance fighter (maternal line)
- Erling Rønneberg (1923–2008) – military officer (maternal line)
Otto Holmboe line (descended from Otto Holmboe, provost at Christiania):
- Bernt Michael Holmboe (1795–1850) – mathematician, teacher of Niels Henrik Abel
- Christopher Andreas Holmboe (1796–1882) – philologist and orientalist
- Arnold Holmboe (1873–1956) – politician and government minister
The family coat of arms originated in the 1700s.
