Holmes (surname)

Holmes is an English-language surname with several origins.

The name can be a variant of the surname Holme.^[1] This surname has several etymological origins: it can be derived from a name for someone who lived next to a holly tree, from the Middle English holm; it can also be derived from the Old English holm and Old Norse holmr.^[2] Another origin of Holmes is from a placename near Dundonald, or else a place located in the barony of Inchestuir. The surname is also sometimes an Anglicised form of the Gaelic Mac Thomáis; similarly, Holmes can also be a variant of Cavish, derived as an Anglicised form of Mac Thámhais.^[1]

People by first name

A

• Alan Holmes, Welsh musician and record producer
• Albert Holmes (footballer born 1942), English-born football defender who played for Chesterfield
• Alex Holmes (b. 1981), American football player
• Alfred Holmes (1931–1994), sergeant of the Gibraltar Regiment
• Andrew Holmes (disambiguation), multiple people
• Anthony Holmes (b. 1940), British author and Egyptologist
• Anthony Holmes (b. 1949), British Author and businessman
• Arthur Holmes (1890–1965), British geologist
• Arthur F. Holmes (b. 1924), American professor of philosophy
• Ashton Holmes (b. 1978), American film and TV actor
• Augusta Holmès (1847 – 1903), French composer

B

• Barry Holmes (1928–1949), Anglo-Argentinian rugby union player
• Ben Holmes (1890–1943), American film director
• Benjamin Holmes (1794–1865), Quebec businessman
• Benjamin Holmes (1845–1914), Mayor of Kansas City (1890–91)
• Besby Holmes (1917–2006), American World War II fighter pilot
• Bill Holmes (1899–1961), Canadian ice hockey player
• Bruce Holmes (born 1965), American football player
• Burton Holmes (1870–1958), American traveller, photographer and filmmaker

C

• Catherine Holmes, Australian judge
• Charles Holmes (disambiguation), multiple people
• Charlie Holmes (1910–1985), American jazz saxophonist
• Chris Holmes (disambiguation), multiple people, including:
  • Chris Holmes (musician) (b. 1958), American musician
  • Chris Holmes (swimmer), British Paralympian
• Chuck Holmes (b. 1935), retired Canadian ice hockey player
• Clarence Holmes (b. 1968), also known as Ready Rock C, American musician
• Clent Holmes (b. 1917), American country music guitarist

D

• Daniel Henry Holmes (1816–1898), American businessman
• Danny Holmes (b. 1989), English footballer
• Dave Holmes (b. 1971), American television personality
• Dave Holmes (sportscaster), American sportscaster
• David Holmes (actor) (b. 1981), British actor and stunt performer
• David Holmes (politician) (1769–1832), American politician
• David Holmes (musician) (b. 1969), Irish DJ, musician and composer
• David L. Holmes, Walter G. Mason Professor of Religious Studies, specialist in Anglican history at the College of William and Mary
• Dennis Holmes (b. 1950), American child actor
• Derek Holmes (b. 1978), Scottish footballer
• Diane Holmes (b. 1935), Canadian politician
• Donald Holmes (1910–1980), American inventor

E

• Eamonn Holmes (b. 1959), Northern Irish journalist and broadcaster
• Earl Holmes, American football player
• Edmond Holmes (1850–1936), English writer and poet.
• Edwin Holmes (astronomer) (1842?–1919), British astronomer
• Edwin R. Holmes (1878–1961), US federal judge
• Edwin Holmes (inventor), American inventor of the burglar alarm (in 1858)
• Edwin T. Holmes, son of Edwin Holmes (inventor)
• Elizabeth Holmes, American businesswoman, self-made billionaire, founder of Theranos
• Emma Holmes, American Civil War diarist
• Enola Holmes, sister of fictional detective Sherlock Holmes, character created by Nancy Springer
• Eric Holmes, Scottish video game designer
• Ernest Holmes (1887–1960), founder of the movement known as Religious Science, also known as "Science of Mind," a part of the New Thought Movement
• Ernie Holmes (1948–2008), American football player
• Errol Holmes (1905–1960), English cricketer

F

• Frank Holmes (disambiguation), multiple people
• Fred Holmes (1878–1956), American baseball player
• Frederick William Holmes (1889–1969), English soldier and VC recipient

G

• Gabriel Holmes (1769–1829), American politician
• Gavrielle Holmes, American politician
• George Holmes (professor) (1927–2009), Chichele Professor of Medieval History Emeritus at the University of Oxford
• George Frederick Holmes (1829–1897), American educator
• George M. Holmes (1929–2009), U.S. politician
• Gordon Holmes, pseudonym used by Louis Tracy
• Gordon Morgan Holmes (1876–1965), British neurologist
• Greg Holmes (b. 1983), Australian rugby union player
• Greg Holmes (tennis) (b. 1963), Former American Tennis player

H

• Dr. Hamilton E. Holmes (1941–1995), U.S. physician (orthopedist) who helped desegregate the University of Georgia as one of the first two African-American students
• Hap Holmes (1889–1940), Canadian professional ice hockey goalie
• Harvey Holmes (1873–1948), American athlete and coach
• Helen Holmes (1893–1950), American actress
• Henry Holmes (disambiguation), multiple people
• H. H. Holmes (1861–1896) American serial killer
• Howdy Holmes (b. 1949), American racing driver
• Hugh Holmes (1840–1916), Irish politician

I

• Ian Holmes (footballer born 1950) (b. 1950), English former footballer
• Ian Holmes (footballer born 1985) (b. 1985), English footballer

J

• Jacob Holmes (b. 1983), Australian basketball player
• Jackie Holmes (1920–1995), American Formula One driver
• Jake Holmes (b. 1939), American folk-pop singer/songwriter
• James Holmes (disambiguation), multiple people
• Jennifer Holmes (disambiguation), multiple people
• Jerome Holmes (b. 1961), American federal judge
• Jessica Holmes (b. 1973), Canadian comedian and actor
• Jimmy Holmes (b. 1953), Irish former professional footballer
• Joan Holmes (b. 1935), founding president of The Hunger Project
• Joe Holmes (singer) (1906–1978), Irish singer from Antrim, County Antrim
• Joe Holmes (b. 1963), American heavy metal guitarist
• Joel Holmes (1821–1872), English soldier and VC recipient
• John Holmes (disambiguation), multiple people, including:
  • John Holmes (actor) (1944–1988), American pornographic film star.
  • John Holmes (British diplomat) (b. 1951), British diplomat
  • John Holmes (Canadian senator) (1789–1876), Canadian Senator.
  • John Holmes (Ontario politician) (1828–1879), Canadian Liberal-Conservative Member of Parliament representing Carleton
  • John Holmes (mercenary), Anglo-Indian mercenary in the Punjab
  • John Holmes (poet) (1904–1962), American poet, critic
  • John Holmes (U.S. politician) (1773–1843), member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts
  • John B. Holmes (a.k.a. J. B. Holmes) (b. 1982), American golfer
  • John Clellon Holmes (1926–1988), American poet, novelist and essayist of the Beat Generation
  • John Eric Holmes (1930–2010), author and promotor of fantasy role-playing games,
  • John Haynes Holmes (1879–1964), American Unitarian minister and prominent peace and civil liberties activist
  • John Robert Holmes (b. 1927), Canadian Progressive Conservative Member of Parliament representing Lambton-Kent.
• Jon Holmes (b. 1973), British comedy writer and broadcaster
• Jonathan Holmes (disambiguation), multiple people
• Joseph Holmes (disambiguation), multiple people
• Josh Holmes (b. 1987), Australian rugby union player
• Julie Lynn Holmes, former American figure skater

K

• Katie Holmes (b. 1978), American actress
• Keith Holmes (palaeobotanist) (b. 1933), Australian palaeobotanist
• Keith Holmes (boxer) (b. 1969), American boxer
• Kelda Holmes (b. 1970), English actress
• Dame Kelly Holmes (b. 1970), British middle distance athlete
• Ken Holmes a.k.a. Mr. Kennedy (b. 1976), American professional wrestler and actor
• Kenneth Holmes (b. 1934), British scientist
• Kris Holmes (b. 1950), American type designer

L

• Larry Holmes (b. 1949), American boxer
• Larry Holmes (activist), American activist
• Larry Holmes (b. 1992), United States Marine
• Lee Holmes (b. 1987), English footballer
• Len Holmes, former Australian rugby league player
• Linda Holmes (b. 1959), American politician
• Lindsey Holmes (born 1973), member of the Alaska House of Representatives
• Louis Holmes American football player
• Lucy Holmes (b. 1979), British-born Australian TV Presenter and performer

M

• Mark Holmes (filmmaker), American filmmaker and co-owner of Daisy 3 Pictures
• Mark V. Holmes (b. 1960), American judge
• Martha Holmes (photographer)(1923–2006), American photographer
• Martha Holmes (broadcaster), British marine biologist, TV journalist and producer
• Mary Rehling Holmes, American golf coach
• Matt Holmes (b. 1976), Australian actor
• Matthew Holmes (engineer) (1844–1903), chief mechanical engineer of the North British Railway
• Michael Holmes (disambiguation)
• Michelle Holmes (b. 1967), English actress
• Mike Holmes (b. 1963), Canadian professional contractor and host of Holmes on Homes
• Mike Holmes (b. 1948), British professional electrical engineer involved in building HMS Sheffield and officer on P&O SS Chusan.
• Mike Holmes (wide receiver) (b. 1950), a Canadian Football League receiver who played for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
• Mycroft Holmes, brother of the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes

N

• Nancy Holmes (b. 1959), Canadian poet and educator
• Nick Holmes (disambiguation), multiple people

O

• Obadiah Holmes (1610–1682), early Rhode Island settler and Baptist minister
• Oliver Holmes (b. 1992), Canadian rugby player
• Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. (1809–1894), poet and essayist
• Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. (1841–1935), justice of the Supreme Court of the United States

P

• Paul Holmes (academic), American academic
• Paul Holmes (broadcaster) (1950-2013), New Zealand radio and television broadcaster
• Paul Holmes (politician) (b. 1957), politician in the United Kingdom
• Pehr G. Holmes (1881–1952), US Representative from Massachusetts
• Percy Holmes (1886–1971), English cricketer
• Pete Holmes (b. 1979), American comedian
• Pete Holmes (drummer), drummer of Black 'N Blue
• Peter Holmes (b. 1980), English footballer
• Philip Holmes (b. 1945), American engineering professor
• Phillips Holmes (1907–1942), American film actor
• Priest Holmes (b. 1973), American football player

R

• Ray Holmes (1914–2005), British World War II fighter pilot
• Rand Holmes, (1942–2002), Canadian comic artist
• Reggie Holmes (b. 1987), American basketball player
• Richard Holmes (organist) (1931–1991), American jazz organist
• Richard Holmes (military historian) (1946-2011), British military historian
• Robert Holmes (disambiguation), multiple people, including:
  • Robert A. "Bob" Holmes, Georgia state legislator
  • Robert C. Holmes (1928–1986), English TV scriptwriter
  • Robert D. Holmes (1909–1976), governor of Oregon
  • Robert E. Holmes (1922–2004)), Ohio state supreme court justice
  • Sir Robert Holmes (1622–1692), English admiral
  • Robert Holmes (musician), guitarist for the band 'Til Tuesday
  • Robert Holmes (composer), wrote music for computer games
• Rupert Holmes (b. 1947), British composer and writer

S

• Samuel Jackson Holmes (1868–1964), American zoologist
• Santonio Holmes (b. 1984), American footballer and Super Bowl XLIII MVP
• Scott Holmes (b. 1952), American actor
• Sherlock Holmes, fictional detective created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
• Simon Hugh Holmes (1831–1919), Nova Scotia politician, publisher and lawyer
• Stanley Holmes, 1st Baron Dovercourt (1878–1961), British politician
• Steve Holmes (actor) (b. 1961), Romanian-born German pornographic film actor
• Susan Carter Holmes (b. 1933), British botanist

T

• Taylor Holmes (1878–1959), American stage actor
• Terry Holmes (b. 1957), former Welsh international rugby union player
• Theophilus H. Holmes (1804–1880), Confederate Civil War lieutenant general
• Thomas Holmes (disambiguation), multiple people
• Tim Holmes (b. 1955), American sculptor, filmmaker and musician
• Tim Holmes (actor) (b. 1967), American actor
• Timothy Holmes (1825–1907), English surgeon
• Tina Holmes (b. 1973), American television and film actress
• Tom Holmes (b. 1930s), current chairman of the far-right British political party, the National Front
• Tommy Holmes (1917–2008), American baseball player

V

• Valerie Susan Holmes (b. 1946), English beauty pageant contestant
• Victoria Holmes, English novelist

W

• William Holmes (Australian general) (1862–1917), Australian Army Major General during World War I
• William Holmes (British general)
• William Edgar Holmes (1895–1918), English soldier and VC recipient
• William Holmes (1779–1851), British politician
• William George Holmes (1892–1969), British general during World War II
• William Henry Holmes (1846–1933), American anthropologist, archaeologist, geologist and museum director

Others by last name

• Janet Holmes à Court (b. 1943), Australian businesswoman
• Peter Holmes à Court (b. 1968), Australian businessman
• Robert Holmes à Court (1937-1990), Australian businessman
• Derek St. Holmes (b. 1953), American musician

References

1. Holmes Family History, Ancestry.com, retrieved 10 February 2012. This webpage cited: Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4.
2. Holme Family History, Ancestry.com, retrieved 10 February 2012. This webpage cited: Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4.

See also

• Holmes (given name)
• Holm (surname)