Find out how popular the last name Helm is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Helm.

Helm, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Helm surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Helm in America

Helm is the 3087th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Helm surname appeared 11,649 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Helm.

We can also compare 2010 data for Helm to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Helm

The surname HELM is of Anglo-Saxon origin, deriving from the Old English word "helm" meaning "helmet" or "headgear". It likely originated as an occupational name for a helmet maker or seller, or potentially as a nickname for someone who wore a distinctive helmet.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname HELM can be traced back to the 13th century in various counties across England, such as Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Oxfordshire. Some of the earliest recorded bearers of the name include William Helm in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273 and Adam Helm in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296.

In the Domesday Book, a great survey of landowners and tenants commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, there are no direct mentions of the surname HELM. However, the name may have derived from place names such as Helmsley in Yorkshire, which is recorded as "Helmeslac" in the Domesday Book, suggesting a possible connection to the name's origins.

One of the earliest known bearers of the HELM surname was Sir Thomas Helm (c.1350-1420), a prominent English landowner and Member of Parliament for Lincolnshire during the reigns of Richard II and Henry IV. Another notable figure was John Helm (c.1510-1594), an English clergyman and author who served as the Bishop of Norwich.

In the United States, the HELM surname can be traced back to the colonial era, with several early settlers bearing the name. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of John Helm, who arrived in Virginia in 1635. Another notable American bearer of the name was Benjamin Hardin Helm (1831-1863), a Kentucky lawyer and Confederate brigadier general who fought in the American Civil War.

Other historically significant individuals with the HELM surname include:

• Sir Benjamin Helm Bresford (1837-1906), a British naval officer and recipient of the Victoria Cross
• Arthur Helm (1844-1932), a British architect and surveyor
• Max Helm (1894-1981), a German actor and film director
• Theodore Helm (1904-1945), a German Luftwaffe officer and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
• Brigitte Helm (1906-1988), a German actress best known for her role in the silent film "Metropolis"

The HELM surname has also been associated with various place names and locations throughout history, such as Helmsley in Yorkshire, Helmeringen in Germany, and Helmville in Montana, United States, among others.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Helm

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Helm.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Helm was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Helm has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Helm was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Helm, please contact us.

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