Holmes is used as a family name or surname in Ireland, England. It is 6 characters long in length.

Family Name / Last Name: Holmes
No. of characters: 6
Origin: Ireland, England
Meaning:

The surname Holmes is the variant form of the Hulme. Places in counties Lancaster, Northumberland, and Cheshire.

A holme is defined by Halliwell as 'flat land; a small island; a deposit of soil at the confluence of two waters. Flat grounds near water are called holms.'
"Some call them the holmes, because they lie low,
and are good for nothing but grasse."
,In Scotland a holm means both a small uninhabited island, and a detached or insulated rock in the sea.

A variation of the Holm. Dweller at, or near, the holly tree; dweller on, or near, the hill; one who came from Holme meaning "island," the name of man places in England; dweller on the small island, or on the spot of dry land in a fen.

Dweller at, or near, the holly tree, or on a river island, or on, or near, a hill; dweller on a piece of dry land in a fen.

Hollies, island in a river, flat land, meadow surrounded by water.

How popular is Holmes?

Holmes is common in United States, England, Australia, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Liberia, Jamaica, Thailand, Ecuador, Saudi Arabia, France, Spain, Germany, Fiji, Zimbabwe, Brazil, Netherlands, Philippines, Portugal, Barbados, Panama, Nigeria, Bahamas, Indonesia.

Holmes is ranked 1723 on our list.

Despite the fact that the number of Holmes bearers increased by 4.4 per cent in 2010 US census to 156780 since 2000, the surname slipped by 10 spots and ranked at 171. The last name was found in around 5 per ten thousand population. Please refer to following table for race and ethnicity.

Race 2010 2000
White 56.79 59.22
Black 37.28 36.52
Hispanic or Latino 2.38 1.5
Others 2.37 1.72
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.76 0.73
Asian and Native Hawaiian
& Other Pacific Islander		 0.42 0.31
Holmes is quite popular family name mostly used in United States however Northern Ireland lie ahead in terms of density. Around 318986 people have been found who wears Holmes as their family name. Holmes is used widely across the globe. More detailed information can be found below:
RankCountryCount
Countries with hundred thousands of Holmes:
168 United States192,265
Countries with ten thousands of Holmes:
84 England62,849
123 Australia21,654
263 Canada15,849
Countries with thousands of Holmes:
1,426 South Africa4,754
170 New Zealand3,132
98 Northern Ireland2,901
345 Scotland2,855
375 Ireland2,412
140 Wales2,077
Countries with hundreds of Holmes:
673 Liberia787
524 Jamaica784
12,696 Thailand778
3,962 Ecuador463
10,981 Saudi Arabia398
26,633 France388
10,077 Spain352
28,064 Germany307
899 Fiji189
13,153 Zimbabwe168
48,952 Brazil147
18,437 Netherlands145
74,327 Philippines134
3,983 Portugal132
409 Barbados121
1,894 Panama117
58,295 Nigeria115
416 Bahamas113
85,606 Indonesia109
Countries with low frequency i.e., 50 - 100:
4,466 Dominican Republic100
2,528 Oman100
6,147 Denmark93
1,597 Nicaragua91
2,397 Singapore90
3,085 Bahrain88
24,051 Japan88
149 Jersey88
1,376 Guyana87
15,990 Mexico85
6,842 Chile80
9,401 Sweden74
146 Guernsey73
186 Isle of Man73
11,658 Switzerland73
222,490 India61
12,846 Norway55
54,134 Argentina52
Countries with very low frequency i.e., 10 - 50:
1,518 China49
30,321 Belgium47
30,158 Malaysia47
3,171 Trinidad and Tobago44
67,506 Iran42
28,870 Papua New Guinea39
1,313 Brunei38
185 Gibraltar38
20,573 Zambia37
11,607 Botswana33
24,632 Israel31
42,602 Czechia30
837 Malta30
14,967 Kuwait29
2,334 Costa Rica28
15,017 Iraq26
8,353 Namibia26
2,892 Honduras25
723 United States Virgin Islands24
3,169 Hong Kong20
515 Bermuda19
46,251 Austria18
101,426 Italy18
48,093 Egypt17
73,285 Greece17
6,078 Cyprus14
9,158 Sri Lanka14
25,468 Venezuela14
2,013 Belize13
2,098 Guam12
27,512 United Arab Emirates11
Countries with very very low frequency i.e., 6 - 10:
54,497 Morocco9
30,726 Qatar9
53,030 Hungary8
1,091 South Korea8
146,768 Poland7
15,363 Ghana6
123,710 Uganda6
3,090 Vietnam6
Show Full Last Name Distribution

Immigrants to US

From Germany

Christ. Holmes was 38 years old when he migrated to USA on May 7, 1852. He lived in Germany where he worked as laborer and took Adonis from Liverpool. 32 years old Henrick Holmes, 6 years old Rosine Holmes, 8 months old U Holmes, Thomas.C. Holmes (30) Miner, A.G.E. Holmes (22) Laborer, Caroline Holmes (55), Suse. Holmes, aged 33, Caroline Holmes, G.L. Holmes, aged 14, G.L. Holmes (55) Merchant, Laborer Christophe Holmes, Caroline Holmes, 33 years old Nicolaus Holmes, are others that migrated to US from Liverpool, Hamburg, Bremen, Havre & London and Liverpool & Queenstown.

Holmes Namesakes

  • Edmond Holmes, educationalist, writer and poet
  • John Clellon Holmes, American author, poet and professor
  • Emma Holmes, resident of South Carolina
  • Clint Holmes, singer-songwriter and Las Vegas entertainer
  • Charles Holmes, British painter, art historian and museum director
  • Daniel Henry Holmes, was
  • Susan Carter Holmes, botanist and taxonomist at the Royal Botanic Gardens
  • George Frederick Holmes, first Chancellor of the University of Mississippi
  • Hugh Holmes, Irish Conservative Party
  • Derek St. Holmes, Derek St
  • Samuel Jackson Holmes, American zoologist and eugenicist
  • James William Holmes, was executed at the age of 37 for the March 25
  • Besby Holmes, 1917–2006, a World War II fighter pilot
  • Charlie Holmes, alto jazz saxophonist of the swing era
  • Baskerville Holmes, American professional basketball player
  • John Haynes Holmes, prominent Unitarian minister, pacifist
  • Uriel Holmes, United States Representative from Connecticut
  • James Howard Holmes, American diplomat
  • Phyllis Holmes, longtime basketball coach for Greenville College
  • Tally Holmes, African American tennis player
  • Elias B. Holmes, U.S. Representative from New York
  • Sidney T. Holmes, U.S. Representative from New York
  • Hal Holmes, U.S. Representative from Washington
  • Nancy Holmes, Canadian poet and educator
  • Robert H. Holmes, first NYPD African-American officer to die
  • Isaac Holmes, early American politician
  • Abiel Holmes, American Congregational clergyman and historian
  • Victoria Holmes, English author
  • Robert L. Holmes, professor of philosophy at the University of Rochester
  • Nathaniel Holmes, English Independent theologian and preacher
  • Herbert L. Holmes, North Dakota public servant and politician with the Republican Party
  • Julyan Holmes, Cornish scholar and poet
  • H. Allen Holmes, United States Ambassador to Portugal
  • Adrian Holmes, Welsh-born Canadian actor
  • Charles H. Holmes, member of the United States House of Representatives
  • Eldridge Holmes, New Orleans singer,
  • Geoffrey Holmes, British ice hockey player
  • Steven Holmes, Canadian curator based in Hartford, Connecticut
  • Hamilton E. Holmes, American orthopedic physician
  • Arthur Holmes, scientist
  • William Henry Holmes, American explorer, anthropologist, archaeologist, artist, scientific illustrator
  • Gordon Morgan Holmes, British neurologist
  • Philip Holmes, Eugene Higgins Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Princeton University
  • Larry Holmes, American former professional boxer
  • H. H. Holmes, Dr
  • George M. Holmes, Republican member of the North Carolina General Assembly representing the state's 92nd House district
  • Gabriel Holmes, 21st Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina
  • Jessica Holmes, Canadian comedian and actress
  • Simon Hugh Holmes, Nova Scotia politician, publisher and lawyer
  • Priest Holmes, former American football running back
  • Rupert Holmes, British-American composer, singer-songwriter
  • Ernest Holmes, American New Thought writer, teacher, and leader
  • Kelly Holmes, retired British middle distance athlete
  • Edwin R. Holmes, United States federal judge
  • William Edgar Holmes, English recipient of the Victoria Cross

Holmes Namesakes

  • Edmond Holmes, educationalist, writer and poet
  • John Clellon Holmes, American author, poet and professor
  • Emma Holmes, resident of South Carolina
  • Clint Holmes, singer-songwriter and Las Vegas entertainer
  • Charles Holmes, British painter, art historian and museum director
  • Daniel Henry Holmes, was
  • Susan Carter Holmes, botanist and taxonomist at the Royal Botanic Gardens
  • George Frederick Holmes, first Chancellor of the University of Mississippi
  • Hugh Holmes, Irish Conservative Party
  • Derek St. Holmes, Derek St
  • Samuel Jackson Holmes, American zoologist and eugenicist
  • James William Holmes, was executed at the age of 37 for the March 25
  • Besby Holmes, 1917–2006, a World War II fighter pilot
  • Charlie Holmes, alto jazz saxophonist of the swing era
  • Baskerville Holmes, American professional basketball player
  • John Haynes Holmes, prominent Unitarian minister, pacifist
  • Uriel Holmes, United States Representative from Connecticut
  • James Howard Holmes, American diplomat
  • Phyllis Holmes, longtime basketball coach for Greenville College
  • Tally Holmes, African American tennis player
  • Elias B. Holmes, U.S. Representative from New York
  • Sidney T. Holmes, U.S. Representative from New York
  • Hal Holmes, U.S. Representative from Washington
  • Nancy Holmes, Canadian poet and educator
  • Robert H. Holmes, first NYPD African-American officer to die
  • Isaac Holmes, early American politician
  • Abiel Holmes, American Congregational clergyman and historian
  • Victoria Holmes, English author
  • Robert L. Holmes, professor of philosophy at the University of Rochester
  • Nathaniel Holmes, English Independent theologian and preacher
  • Herbert L. Holmes, North Dakota public servant and politician with the Republican Party
  • Julyan Holmes, Cornish scholar and poet
  • H. Allen Holmes, United States Ambassador to Portugal
  • Adrian Holmes, Welsh-born Canadian actor
  • Charles H. Holmes, member of the United States House of Representatives
  • Eldridge Holmes, New Orleans singer,
  • Geoffrey Holmes, British ice hockey player
  • Steven Holmes, Canadian curator based in Hartford, Connecticut
  • Hamilton E. Holmes, American orthopedic physician
  • Arthur Holmes, scientist
  • William Henry Holmes, American explorer, anthropologist, archaeologist, artist, scientific illustrator
  • Gordon Morgan Holmes, British neurologist
  • Philip Holmes, Eugene Higgins Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Princeton University
  • Larry Holmes, American former professional boxer
  • H. H. Holmes, Dr
  • George M. Holmes, Republican member of the North Carolina General Assembly representing the state's 92nd House district
  • Gabriel Holmes, 21st Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina
  • Jessica Holmes, Canadian comedian and actress
  • Simon Hugh Holmes, Nova Scotia politician, publisher and lawyer
  • Priest Holmes, former American football running back
  • Rupert Holmes, British-American composer, singer-songwriter
  • Ernest Holmes, American New Thought writer, teacher, and leader
  • Kelly Holmes, retired British middle distance athlete
  • Edwin R. Holmes, United States federal judge
  • William Edgar Holmes, English recipient of the Victoria Cross

Related Family Names: