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
Living On Own Means 454
General Labourer 384
General Servant Domestic 304
Dress Maker 283
Cotton Weaver 274
Farmer 270
Scholar 212
Coal Miner Hewer 178
Cook Domestic 158
Domestic Servant 153
Agricultural Labourer 130
Housemaid Domestic 105
Charwoman 98
Laundress Wash 97
Worsted Weaver 95
Ordinary Agricultural Labourer 93
Tailoress 91
House Keeper Domestic 89
Carpenter 85
Dressmaker 80
Worsted Spinner 80
Butcher 77
Blacksmith 73
House Maid Domestic 73
Bricklayer 72

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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