Holmes (surname)

Holmes is an English-language surname with several origins.

The name can be a variant of the surname Holme. 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. Another probable 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.

A

 * Alan Holmes, Welsh musician and record producer
 * Albert Holmes (footballer, born 1885) (1885–?), English footballer
 * Albert Holmes (footballer born 1942), English-born footballer
 * Alex Holmes (born 1981), American football player
 * Alexander Holmes, crewman of the ship William Brown, convicted of manslaughter in 1841 for forcing passengers out of an overloaded lifeboat
 * Alexander Holmes, pseudonym of Hans Habe
 * Alfred Holmes (1931–1994), sergeant of the Gibraltar Regiment
 * Alfred Holmes (composer) (1837–1876), violinist and composer
 * Alice Waring Holmes (1872 – 1939), dentist and suffragette
 * Alvin Holmes (1939–2020), American politician
 * Andre Holmes (born 1988), American football player; brother of Jason Holmes (see below)
 * Andrew Holmes (disambiguation), multiple people
 * Anthony Holmes, British author and businessman
 * Anthony D. Holmes (born 1945), Australian plastic and reconstructive surgeon
 * J. Anthony Holmes, American diplomat
 * Arthur Holmes (1890–1965), British geologist
 * Arthur F. Holmes (1924–2011), American professor of philosophy
 * Ashton Holmes (born 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 (disambiguation)
 * Besby Holmes (1917–2006), American World War II fighter pilot
 * Bill Holmes (disambiguation)
 * Brad Holmes (born 1979), American football executive
 * Brenda Swann Holmes, American research chemist
 * Bruce Holmes (born 1965), American football player
 * Burton Holmes (1870–1958), American traveller, photographer and filmmaker

C

 * Catherine Holmes, Australian judge
 * Charles Holmes (disambiguation)
 * Charlie Holmes (1910–1985), American jazz saxophonist
 * Chris Holmes (disambiguation)
 * Christian Holmes (born 1997), American football player
 * Christian R. Holmes II (1896–1944), decorated American soldier and zoo owner
 * Chuck Holmes (ice hockey) (1934–2019), Canadian hockey player
 * Clara H. Holmes (1838–1927), American writer
 * Clarence Holmes (born 1968), also known as Ready Rock C, American musician
 * Clay Holmes (born 1993), American baseball player
 * Clent Holmes (1917–?), American guitarist

D

 * Daniel Henry Holmes (1816–1898), American businessman
 * Danny Holmes (born 1989), English footballer
 * Darnay Holmes (born 1998), American football player
 * Darren Holmes (baseball) (born 1966), American baseball player and coach
 * Dave Holmes (actor) (born 1971), American television personality
 * Dave Holmes (sportscaster), American sportscaster
 * David Holmes (disambiguation)
 * Derek Holmes (born 1978), Scottish footballer
 * Derek Holmes (ice hockey) (born 1939), Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and administrator
 * Diane Holmes (born 1935), Canadian politician
 * Don Holmes (born 1959), Australian rules football player
 * Don Holmes (American football) (born 1961), American former National Football League player and college coach
 * Donald F. Holmes (1910–1980), American inventor
 * Donald Grahame Holmes, Australian electrical engineer

E

 * Eamonn Holmes (born 1959), Northern Irish journalist and broadcaster
 * Earl Holmes, American football player
 * Edmond Holmes (1850–1936), English writer and poet
 * Edward Morell Holmes (1843–1930), British botanist
 * Edwin Holmes (disambiguation)
 * Elizabeth Holmes, American businesswoman, founder of Theranos
 * Emma Holmes, American Civil War diarist
 * Eric Holmes (racing driver) (born 1974), American race car driver
 * Eric Holmes (video game designer), Scottish writer, creative director and videogame designer
 * Eric Leighton Holmes, British chemist
 * 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)
 * Fred Holmes (1878–1956), American baseball player
 * Frederic L. Holmes (1932–2003), American historian of science
 * Frederick Hale Holmes (1812–1875), British professor of chemistry, pioneer of electric lighting and inventor
 * Frederick William Holmes (1889–1969), English soldier awarded the Victoria Cross

G

 * Gabriel Holmes (1769–1829), American politician
 * Gavrielle Holmes, American politician
 * Genta Hawkins Holmes (born 1940), American foreign service officer
 * George Holmes (archivist) (1662–1749), English archivist and editor of Thomas Rymer's Fœdera
 * George Holmes (historian) (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 Morgan Holmes (1876–1965), British neurologist
 * Grant Holmes (born 1996), American baseball player
 * Greg Holmes (cricketer) (born 1993), Welsh cricketer
 * Greg Holmes (rugby union) (born 1983), Australian rugby union player
 * Greg Holmes (tennis) (born 1963), American former tennis player

H

 * Hamilton E. Holmes (1941–1995), American physician who helped desegregate the University of Georgia as one of the first two African-American students
 * Hap Holmes (1889–1940), Canadian ice hockey goalie
 * Harold Holmes (disambiguation)
 * Harry Holmes (disambiguation)
 * Harvey Holmes (1873–1948), American college football player and coach of football, baseball and track
 * Helen Freudenberger Holmes (1915–1997), American journalist, historian, teacher, politician and Women's Army Corps officer
 * Helen Holmes (actress) (1893–1950), American actress
 * Henry Holmes (disambiguation)
 * H. H. Holmes (1861–1896), American con man, killer and bigamist
 * Howdy Holmes (born 1949), American racing driver
 * Hugh Holmes (1840–1916), Irish politician

I

 * Ian Holmes (disambiguation)

J

 * J. Anthony Holmes, American diplomat
 * Jacob Holmes (born 1983), Australian basketball player
 * Jackie Holmes (1920–1995), American Formula One driver
 * Jake Holmes (born 1939), American folk-pop singer/songwriter
 * Jalyn Holmes (born 1996), American football player
 * James Holmes (disambiguation)
 * Jason Holmes (born 1989), American Australian rules footballer; brother of Andre Holmes
 * Jennie Florella Holmes (1842-1892), American suffragist and temperance activist
 * Jennifer Holmes (disambiguation), multiple people
 * Jerome Holmes (born 1961), American federal judge
 * Jessica Holmes (born 1973), Canadian comedian and actor
 * Jimmy Holmes (born 1953), Irish former professional footballer
 * Joan Holmes (born 1935), founding president of The Hunger Project
 * Joe Holmes (born 1963), American heavy metal guitarist
 * Joe Holmes (singer) (1906–1978), Irish singer
 * Joe Holmes (rugby league), rugby league footballer
 * Joel Holmes (1821–1872), English soldier awarded the Victoria Cross
 * John Holmes (disambiguation)
 * Jon Holmes (born 1973), British comedy writer and broadcaster
 * Jonathan Holmes (disambiguation)
 * Joseph Holmes (disambiguation)
 * Josh Holmes (rugby union) (born 1987), Australian rugby union player
 * Josh Holmes (video game designer) (born 1973), Canadian game producer and video game designer
 * Julie Lynn Holmes, American former figure skater

K

 * Katie Holmes (born 1978), American actress
 * Keith Holmes (palaeobotanist) (born 1933), Australian palaeobotanist
 * Keith Holmes (boxer) (born 1969), American boxer
 * Kelda Holmes (born 1970), English actress
 * Kelly Holmes (born 1970), British middle-distance athlete
 * Kenneth Holmes (1934–2021), British scientist
 * King K. Holmes (born 1937), American physician, medical researcher, and medical school professor
 * Kris Holmes (born 1950), American type designer

L

 * Larry Holmes (born 1949), American boxer
 * La'Shanda Holmes (born 1985), American Coast Guard helicopter pilot
 * Laura Holmes (1932–2016), American NSA career cryptanalyst
 * Lee Holmes (born 1987), English footballer
 * Len Holmes, Australian rugby league footballer
 * Linda Holmes (born 1959), American politician
 * Lindsey Holmes (born 1973), American politician
 * Lizzie Holmes (1850–1926), American anarchist and editor
 * Louis Holmes, American football player
 * Lucy Holmes (born 1979), British-born Australian TV presenter and performer

M

 * Mackenzie Holmes (born c. 2001), American basketball player
 * Margaret Holmes (1909–2009), Australian peace activist
 * Margaret Holmes (ecumenist) (1886–1981), Australian refugee resettlement officer
 * Margaret Flagg Holmes (1886–1976), co-founder of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority
 * Mark Holmes (disambiguation)
 * Martha Holmes (photographer) (1923–2006), American photographer
 * Martha Holmes (broadcaster), British marine biologist, TV journalist and producer
 * Mary Holmes (disambiguation)
 * Matt Holmes (actor) (born 1976), Australian actor
 * Matthew Holmes (engineer) (1844–1903), chief mechanical engineer of the North British Railway
 * Maurice Holmes (cricketer), English cricketer and barrister
 * Michael Holmes (disambiguation)
 * Michelle Holmes (born 1967), English actress
 * Mike Holmes (born 1963), Canadian professional contractor and host of Holmes on Homes
 * Mike Holmes (born 1948), British electrical engineer
 * Mike Holmes (wide receiver) (born 1950), Canadian Football League receiver

N

 * Nancy Holmes (born 1959), Canadian poet and educator
 * Nick Holmes (disambiguation)

O

 * Obadiah Holmes (1610–1682), early Rhode Island settler and Baptist minister
 * Oliver Holmes (rugby league) (born 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
 * Oscar Holmes (1916–2001), first African-American Naval Aviator and air traffic controller

P

 * Paul Holmes (disambiguation)
 * Pehr G. Holmes (1881–1952), US Representative from Massachusetts
 * Percy Holmes (1886–1971), English cricketer
 * Pete or Peter Holmes (disambiguation)
 * Philip Holmes (born 1945), American engineering professor
 * Phillips Holmes (1907–1942), American film actor
 * Portia Holmes Shields, American academic administrator
 * Priest Holmes (born 1973), American football player

R

 * Ray Holmes (1914–2005), British Second World War fighter pilot
 * Rand Holmes, (1942–2002), Canadian comic artist
 * Reggie Holmes (born 1987), American basketball player
 * Renita Holmes, American housing activist
 * Richard Holmes (disambiguation)
 * Richaun Holmes (born 1993), American basketball player
 * Robert Holmes (disambiguation)
 * Rupert Holmes, British-American composer, singer-songwriter and dramatist
 * Ruth Bradley Holmes (1924–2021), American linguist, educator, and polyglot

S

 * Samuel Jackson Holmes (1868–1964), American zoologist
 * Santonio Holmes (born 1984), American footballer and Super Bowl XLIII MVP
 * Sharon Holmes (1950–2015), Canadian artist ( Sharon Christian)
 * Simon Hugh Holmes (1831–1919), Nova Scotia politician, publisher and lawyer
 * Stanley Holmes, 1st Baron Dovercourt (1878–1961), British politician
 * Steve Holmes (actor) (born 1961), Romanian-born German pornographic film actor
 * Susan Holmes (disambiguation)

T

 * Taylor Holmes (1878–1959), American stage actor
 * Terry Holmes (born 1957), former Welsh international rugby union player
 * Theophilus H. Holmes (1804–1880), Confederate Civil War lieutenant general
 * Thomas Holmes (disambiguation)
 * Tim Holmes (artist) (born 1955), American sculptor, filmmaker and musician
 * Tim Holmes (actor) (born 1967), American actor
 * Timothy Holmes (1825–1907), English surgeon
 * Tina Holmes (born 1973), American television and film actress
 * Tom Holmes (born 1979), contemporary American artist
 * Tom Holmes (British politician) (born 1930s), current chairman of the far-right British political party the National Front
 * Tommy Holmes (1917–2008), American baseball player

V

 * Valentine Holmes (born 1995), Australian-born American football player and rugby player
 * Valerie Susan Holmes (born 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), British Army officer of WWI and WWII
 * William Edgar Holmes (1895–1918), English soldier and VC recipient
 * William Holmes (1779–1851), British politician
 * William Holmes (British Army officer) (1892–1969), British general during the Second World War
 * William Henry Holmes (1846–1933), American anthropologist, archaeologist, geologist and museum director
 * William Henry Holmes (musician) (1812–1885), English musician

Fictional characters

 * Enola Holmes (character), sister of Sherlock Holmes created by Nancy Springer
 * Hemlock Holmes, a character from UPA's Dick Tracy cartoon
 * Mycroft Holmes, brother of Sherlock Holmes
 * Sherlock Holmes, fictional detective