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
Scholar 5,620
Coal Miner 515
General Labourer 423
Agricultural Labourer 381
Domestic Servant 278
Farmer 264
Dress Maker 259
Labourer 240
Living On Own Means 236
Cotton Weaver 233
General Servant Domestic 172
General Servant 152
Living On Her Own Means 151
Farm Labourer 144
Worsted Weaver 134
Worsted Spinner 125
House Keeper 122
Laundress 113
Farm Servant 112
Tailor 106
Blacksmith 102
Grocer 97
Joiner 93
General Domestic Servant 88
Gardener 85

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

Did you know?

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

Search for the Holmes family