Registered Holder

See: Bearer Bonds.

Most stock trading is fairly anonymous. Like trolling a bar around closing time. However, sometimes the relationship between the person holding the stock and the company that issued the stock is more formal. Those situations lead to registered holders.

The term refers to a shareholder who has their name (and other pertinent information) registered with the company (with something called a share registry...which makes it kind of like a wedding). Their stock is held directly with the issuing company.