Holmes
Masculine · “From the surname Holmes”
Holmes is an English surname given as a first name since before American records began. The word inside it is Old Norse for a small island in a river, and one of its bearers wrote the most quoted test in American free-speech law.
How old is the name Holmes?
Holmes was already in use when US birth records began in 1880 — it is at least 145 years old. The typical Holmes alive today was born around 1928, making them about 97 years old. About 100 people named Holmes are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Holmes most popular?
Holmes peaked in 1880, reaching #809 nationally. See the whole 1880 chart.
Where it comes from
From holmr to Holmes
The story of Holmes
In Old Norse a holmr was a small island in a river or lake, and the word runs through northern English and Scandinavian place names; Stockholm, 'log islet', was built on such islands. The surname Holmes came from people living by one, or from the holly. In 1919 Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. wrote, in Schenck v. United States, that speech could be punished when it created 'a clear and present danger', and he spent later cases arguing for a narrower reading of his own words. Holmes as a first name was a surname put to use.
Meaningscholars disagree
From the surname Holmes, 'river island' or 'holly'
The surname comes either from Old Norse holmr, 'islet in a river', or from Middle English holm, 'holly'.
How the name formed
- holmr
- Holmes
Related forms: Holmr · Holm
Pronouncing Holmes
HOHMZ
One syllable; the l is silent.
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1880
- Most boys named
- 191524 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #809reached in 1880
- Change vs 2022
- +20.0%6 in 2024, from 5
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Holmes in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Holmr in Old Norse — related form
- Holm in English — related form
Holmess among us
people named Holmes are estimated to be alive in the US today
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
Questions parents actually ask
Fashion outlook
Holmes sits outside the current charts, and that is its own kind of answer: naming cycles can only date the names they carried up. A name this rare has no decade stamped on it — it cannot go out of fashion, because it was never in.
Based on 146 years of naming cycles. How we read them
The trade-off
- A distinguished surname.
- Short and firm.
- Almost certain to be the only one.
- Sherlock Holmes will be the first association for almost everyone.
- The silent l will be sounded by some.
- As a surname-first name it may be taken for a last name.
Nobody names a baby alone.
Put Holmes to the vote.
Add it to a family vote or a couple’s swipe deck — the other person gets one card, a simple answer and room to say why. No app, no account for them.
Only the people you invite can see your list.
Already decided on Holmes? Hide it among decoys and let them guess.
What they receive
Someone added a name to your list
Holmes
Masculine
Frequently asked
- How many Holmess are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 100 people named Holmes are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Holmes in 2025?
- Holmes is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 boy names.
- Will my child share the name Holmes with classmates?
- Holmes will almost certainly be the only one in school.
More H names
The most-given names starting with H, all years combined.
Henry#5 · Harold#991 · Harry#775 · Howard#1002 · Hunter#130 · Herbert#2641 · Herman#2363 · Harvey#251
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Holmes? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Holmes and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
Compare side by sideIn a hurry? Just pick a winner — one tap, no sign-up, and you see how everyone else voted.
Weighing a whole shortlist? Add the rest in the builder, or settle it with a bracket.
Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
No advertising trackers and no data sellinghow we handle your dataindependent and founder-run, about Name Battle