Holmes
A masculine given name of unknown origins, possibly English or Anglo-Saxon.
Name Census estimates that about 151 living Americans carry the first name Holmes. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Holmes today is around 64 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Holmes births was 1915 (24 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Holmes. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
151
~ 1 in 2,269,896 Americans
Peak year
1915
24 babies that year
Average age
64
years old
2024 SSA rank
#11,404
Tracked since 1880
Popularity
Holmes: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Holmes from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 167 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Holmes by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Holmes during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Holmes' live
Origin
Meaning and history of Holmes
The name Holmes has its origins in the Old English language, derived from the word "holm," which means a small island or a piece of land surrounded by water or marshes. It is believed to have originated as a topographic surname, given to people who lived near or on such islands or marshy areas.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 12th century in England, where it was used as a surname. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Robert de Holm, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1166.
In the 13th century, the name began to appear as a given name, although it remained relatively rare. One of the earliest recorded individuals with the given name Holmes was Holmes de Stoughton, who was mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1246.
Throughout the Middle Ages and Renaissance period, the name Holmes continued to be used in England, although it remained uncommon. One notable bearer of the name was Sir Thomas Holmes (c. 1509-1571), an English soldier and politician who served as a Member of Parliament and Lieutenant of the Tower of London.
In the 17th century, the name gained some prominence with the birth of Sir Robert Holmes (1622-1692), an English naval officer and colonial governor of the Isle of Wight and the Bahamas. He played a significant role in the Anglo-Dutch Wars and is considered one of the most important naval commanders of his time.
Another notable bearer of the name was Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. (1809-1894), an American physician, poet, and author, best known for his contributions to the field of medicine and his literary works, including the "Breakfast-Table" series of essays.
In the 20th century, the name gained further recognition with Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. (1841-1935), an American jurist who served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. He is renowned for his influential legal philosophy and his dissenting opinions, which have had a lasting impact on American jurisprudence.
Other notable individuals with the given name Holmes include Holmes Rolston III (1932-2022), an American philosopher and environmental ethicist, and Holmes Herbert (1888-1958), an American actor who appeared in numerous films and television shows during the Golden Age of Hollywood.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Holmes
People
Holmes + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Holmes as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with H
Other first names starting with H with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Holmes: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Holmes?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 151 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Holmes going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 2,269,896 US residents.
Is Holmes a common name?
We classify Holmes as "Very Rare". It ranks above 70.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 610 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Holmes most popular?
The single biggest year for Holmes was 1915, when 24 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Holmes is about 64 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Holmes a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Holmes in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.