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Holmes Family History

Holmes Name Meaning

English (chiefly central and northern England): variant of Holme. Scottish: probably a habitational name from Holmes near Dundonald, or from a place so called in the barony of Inchestuir. Scottish and Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Thomáis, Mac Thómais (see McComb). In part of western Ireland, Holmes is a variant of Cavish (from Gaelic Mac Thámhais, another patronymic from Thomas).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Holme, Hilmes, Holm, Hole, Holmer, Holness, Harmes, Toles, Homme

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Holmes family from?

You can see how Holmes families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Holmes family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Holmes families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 523 Holmes families living in New York. This was about 25% of all the recorded Holmes's in USA. New York had the highest population of Holmes families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Holmes surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Holmes ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Holmes. 18% of Holmes men worked as a Laborer and 9% of Holmes women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Holmes were Truck Driver and Teacher. .

View Census Data for Holmes | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    18%
  • Farmer
    14%
  • Salesman
    4%
  • Truck Driver
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    9%
  • Cook
    6%
  • Housekeeper
    6%
  • Teacher
    5%
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What Holmes family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1 million census records available for the last name Holmes. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Holmes census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Holmes

Passenger Lists

There are 125,000 immigration records available for the last name Holmes. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Holmes immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 176,000 military records available for the last name Holmes. For the veterans among your Holmes ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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You've only scratched the surface of Holmes family history

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What is the average Holmes lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Holmes life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Holmes in 1940 was 47, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Holmes

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