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

Holmes, 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 Holmes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Holmes in America

Holmes is the 171st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Holmes surname appeared 156,780 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 53 people would have the surname Holmes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Holmes 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 Holmes

The surname Holmes is of Anglo-Saxon origin, deriving from the Old English words 'hol' meaning a hollow or depression, and 'mann' referring to a man or person. It was initially an occupational name for someone who lived by a hollow or depression in the landscape, such as a valley or ravine.

The name can be traced back to the 11th century in England, with early references found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landholdings and property rights across much of England and parts of Wales. The Domesday Book records individuals named 'Holeme' in counties like Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Holmes is that of William Holme, who was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1194. The Pipe Rolls were ancient records of financial transactions and debts owed to the Crown.

The surname Holmes has also been derived from various place names in England, such as Holme in Nottinghamshire, Holme in Lancashire, and Hulme in Norfolk. These place names share the same Old English root, 'hol' or 'holh,' meaning a hollow or depression.

One notable individual with the surname Holmes was John Holmes, an English clergyman and academic who lived from 1599 to 1682. He served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford and was a renowned scholar of his time.

Another prominent figure was Sir Robert Holmes, an English naval officer who lived from 1622 to 1692. He played a significant role in naval battles during the Anglo-Dutch Wars and became the Governor of the Isle of Wight.

In the literary realm, Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr., an American physician, professor, and writer, was born in 1809 and died in 1894. He is best known for his poetry collections, including "The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table" and "The Professor at the Breakfast-Table."

The surname Holmes also gained fame through the fictional character Sherlock Holmes, created by the renowned author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in the late 19th century. While Sherlock Holmes is a fictional character, the popularity of Doyle's novels has undoubtedly contributed to the recognition of the surname.

Additionally, David Holmes, an American diplomat and key witness in the impeachment inquiry against former US President Donald Trump in 2019, brought further attention to the surname in recent times.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Holmes

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

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

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

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