The first name Holmes
A boy’s name meaning “islet”.
Pronounced /hoʊmz/ 1 syllable Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Holmes means “islet”.
From holme, variant of holm (“islet”).
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Holmes at birth, 1880–2025
In 2024, 6 boys born in the United States were named Holmes, the 11,445th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1915, when 24 were.
610
babies named Holmes since 1880
#11,445
rank in 2024
1915
peak year
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Famous people named Holmes
5 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Holmes HerbertBritish actor (1882–1956)
- Holmes OsborneAmerican actor, born 1947
- Carlos Holmes TrujilloColombian lawyer and politician, 1951–2021
- Holmes Rolston IIIAmerican philosopher, 1932–2025
- Sterling MorrisonAmerican musician (1942–1995)
Questions
- What does the name Holmes mean?
- Holmes means “islet”.
- Is Holmes a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 610 US babies named Holmes since 1880 were boys.
- When was Holmes most popular?
- 1915 in the United States, when 24 babies were named Holmes, its highest rank at 1,387th.
- How do you pronounce Holmes?
- Holmes is /hoʊmz/, one syllable.
- Is Holmes also a surname?
- Yes. Holmes is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.