Explore the Family Name Holmes
The meaning of Holmes
1. English: either from the plural form of Holme, or else a variant of Holme or Home, with excrescent -s (see Holm). 2. Scottish: probably a habitational name from Holmes near Dundonald (Ayrshire), or possibly from another place so called in the barony of Inchestuir (Angus). Both placenames likely derive from the plural form of Middle English, Older Scots holm ‘islet, raised land in a marsh’ (see Holm). 3. Scottish and Irish: adopted for Scottish Gaelic and Irish Mac Thómais, Mac Thómais (see McComb). In parts of western Ireland, Holmes is also a variant of Cavish, from Gaelic Mac Thámhais, another patronymic from Thomas. Early bearers in Ireland were probably immigrants from Scotland. History: John Holmes came from England to Woodstock, CT, in 1686. His descendants include the Congregational clergyman and historian Abiel Holmes, born 1763 in Woodstock, and Abiel’s son Oliver Wendell Holmes (1809–94).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Holmes in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname "Holmes" experienced a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. Ranked as the 161st most popular surname in 2000, it slipped to 171st by 2010, marking a decline of 6.21%. Despite this slight dip in ranking, the actual count of individuals with the Holmes surname increased from 150,166 in 2000 to 156,780 in 2010, an increase of 4.4%. However, when viewed in terms of proportion per 100k, there was a decrease of 4.53%, moving from 55.67 in 2000 to 53.15 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #161 | #171 | -6.21% |
| Count | 150,166 | 156,780 | 4.4% |
| Proportion per 100k | 55.67 | 53.15 | -4.53% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Holmes
Looking at the ethnic identity associated with the Holmes surname, there were noticeable shifts between 2000 and 2010 based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census. The percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and those reporting two or more races both saw increases, rising by 35.48% and 37.79% respectively. Individuals who identified as Hispanic also saw a significant increase of 58.67%. Conversely, those claiming white ethnicity decreased by 4.10%, although they still comprised the majority at 56.79% in 2010. Black ethnicity saw a minor boost of 2.08%, reaching 37.28% in 2010. Lastly, the American Indian and Alaskan Native category witnessed a modest rise of 4.11%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 59.22% | 56.79% | -4.1% |
| Black | 36.52% | 37.28% | 2.08% |
| Hispanic | 1.5% | 2.38% | 58.67% |
| Two or More Races | 1.72% | 2.37% | 37.79% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.73% | 0.76% | 4.11% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.31% | 0.42% | 35.48% |
Holmes ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Holmes is British & Irish, which comprises 51.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.4%) and Nigerian (4.7%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Eastern European, Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Italian, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 51.0% |
| French & German | 20.4% |
| Nigerian | 4.7% |
| Other | 23.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Holmes
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Holmes have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 80.80% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 80.60% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 80.50% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 80.40% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 80.30% |
What Holmes haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Holmes is I-Z58, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup I-Z58 is descended from haplogroup I-M170. Other common haplogroups include R-L23 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: White, Smith, Johnson, Brown, Taylor, Green, Clark, Young, Wilson, Thompson.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Holmes surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins I-M170
Your paternal lineage may be linked to Alexander Hamilton
Early in the morning on July 11, 1804, Aaron Burr (then Vice President of the United States) and Alexander Hamilton (founder of the U.S. Treasury) dueled on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River. This marked the culmination of a bitter personal and political rivalry between the two men. Alexander Hamilton died as a result of the duel, but his intellectual legacy survives in the founding documents of the nation he helped build. A piece of his genetic legacy survives as well: in the 21st century, genealogists documented the paternal haplogroups of dozens of Hamilton's living descendants and concluded that the Founding Father's paternal haplogroup was a branch of I-DF29.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Holmes have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Holmes" Surname 42.0%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Holmes" Surname 27.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Holmes" Surname 24.7%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Holmes" Surname 18.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Holmes?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Holmes are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition