Holmes Name Origin, Meaning and Family History

Holmes Name Meaning: 'Holm' meaning 'small island' in the Scandinavian language, also a surname for people that lived near holly trees.

This surname may have been introduced and made more prevalent due to parts of Great Britain that were under Danish law in the early medieval times.

Discover how your Holmes ancestors earned their living and spread across the country. Find out more about your family history by using the Free Search box.

Surname Distribution

Census frequency by county

Name Concentrations Within England and Wales

Holmes Surname Statistics


Top Professions for the Holmes family

Profession Census Frequency
Agricultural Labourer 792
Female Servant 682
Independent 473
Labourer 326
Farmer 294
Male Servant 279
Wool Comber 126
Shoe Maker 115
Coal Miner 104
Worsted Weaver 98
Tailor 90
Ag Labourer 88
Carpenter 82
Weaver 68
Dress Maker 64
Stuff Weaver 61
Butcher 60
Blacksmith 59
Frame Work Knitter 55
Cotton Weaver 54
Apprentice 49
Gardener 46
Publican 42
Cotton Spinner 42
Servant 41

Holmes Surname Variants Ranking

Rank Surname Match Census Frequency
1 Holmes 100% 249,153
2 Homes 83% 5,804
3 Holms 83% 4,356
4 Hulmes 83% 2,447
5 Helms 67% 1,043
6 Halmes 83% 1,042
7 Helmes 83% 473
8 Whomes 67% 470
9 Holmas 83% 466
10 Hulms 67% 163
11 Holems 67% 134
12 Houlmes 86% 127

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The surname Holmes is the most popular version of all its varients

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