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

Helms, 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 Helms surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Helms in America

Helms is the 1493rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Helms surname appeared 23,949 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 8 people would have the surname Helms.

We can also compare 2010 data for Helms 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 Helms

The surname Helms originated in England during the medieval era. It is derived from the Old English word "helm," which means "helmet" or "protective covering." This name was likely given to someone who made or sold helmets, or perhaps to a soldier who wore a distinctive helmet in battle.

The earliest recorded instances of the Helms surname date back to the late 12th century in various English county records and tax rolls. One notable example is William Helme, who was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1195.

In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various spellings, such as Helme, Helm, and Healme, reflecting the regional dialects and spelling variations common during that time. The Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire from 1273 mention a John Helme, while the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1297 list a Thomas del Helm.

The Helms surname was also present in the renowned Domesday Book of 1086, which recorded landholders and tenants across England. One entry mentions a "Helmus" in Oxfordshire, although it is unclear whether this was a given name or a surname.

Throughout history, several notable individuals bore the Helms surname. One of the earliest was Sir Christopher Helms (c. 1430-1505), an English knight and landowner from Hertfordshire. Another was John Helms (c. 1580-1637), a prominent English merchant and member of the East India Company.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the Helms surname was Benjamin Helms (1740-1817), a soldier and farmer from North Carolina. Jeremiah Helms (1786-1861) was a prominent Baptist minister and abolitionist in Indiana, while Joseph Helms (1824-1898) was a Union Army officer during the American Civil War.

During the 19th century, the Helms surname also gained recognition through individuals like George Helms (1824-1901), a successful businessman and philanthropist from New York, and John Helms (1851-1913), a prominent architect who designed several notable buildings in Chicago.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Helms

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

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 Helms 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 Helms 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 Helms was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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