Holden is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It is bounded on the west by Rutland; on the northwest by Princeton; on the east by Sterling and West Boylston; on the southeast by Worcester; and on the southwest by Paxton. The town was founded in 1741 and the Town Square (center) was donated by John Hancock, former Governor of Massachusetts. The population was 15,621 at the 2000 census.