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 125282nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Holmes surname appeared 137 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 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 HOMLES is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word 'holm', meaning a small island or a flat land surrounded by streams or marshes. This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near such a geographical feature.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name HOMLES can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry is spelled 'Holmas', which is likely an early variation of the modern HOMLES spelling.

In the 13th century, a Richard de Holme is mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, which were administrative records used for tax collection. This suggests that the surname was well-established in that region by that time.

During the 14th century, a John Holmys is recorded in the Court Rolls of Northamptonshire, further demonstrating the name's presence across different parts of England.

One notable historical figure with the surname HOMLES was Sir Robert Holles (1589-1662), an English lawyer and politician who served as a member of Parliament during the reigns of King James I and King Charles I. He played a significant role in the events leading up to the English Civil War.

Another prominent individual was Thomas Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle (1693-1768), a British politician and courtier who served as Lord Chamberlain and Lord Privy Seal. He was also a renowned patron of the arts and a prominent figure in the cultural life of 18th-century England.

In the realm of literature, Mary Holles (1637-1680) was an English poet and playwright who wrote several notable works, including the tragedy "Arsinoe, Queen of Cyprus."

The surname HOMLES can also be found in historical records from the United States, with one notable example being Nathaniel Holles (1764-1835), an American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from New Hampshire.

Throughout history, various spelling variations of the surname HOMLES have been recorded, such as Holles, Hollys, Hollis, and Holms, reflecting regional differences and changes in language over time.

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.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!