Holston Mountain is named after the Holston River, which is named for Stephen Holston, a descendant of a Swede of New Sweden. Stephen Holston moved west and in 1746 built a cabin near the headwaters of a little creek. When surveyors were working in the area the next year they gave the creek the name "Holston's Creek", because Stephen Holston lived on it.
The name of the mountain is derived from the Holston River, which was named after Stephen Holston, a descendant of a Swede from New Sweden. Stephen Holston built a cabin near the headwaters of a creek in 1746 and surveyors named the creek "Holston's Creek" because he lived there.