What does the surname Holmes mean?
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Locative, the holme (islet in river, or dry ground in fen). Old Norse holmr. Sherlock Holmes was Doyle's literary invention; English Holmeses are Yorkshire–Lancashire dense.
Where does the Holmes family come from?
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The Holmes family is rooted in North West and Yorkshire & the Humber, in England. Within that, the name was particularly concentrated in Cumbria, Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside. The atlas page for the name records the historical territory it has held over the centuries.
Where did the Holmes family historically hold territory?
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At its greatest historical extent, the Holmes name has been concentrated in Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire & the Peak, Leicestershire & Rutland, Northamptonshire and Kent. The atlas page distinguishes the core territory of the name from this wider historical reach with hatched silhouettes on the map.
Is Holmes a England surname?
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Yes, Holmes is a England surname. Its editorial home in this atlas is England, where the historical territory and family record of the name are concentrated.
How old is the Holmes surname?
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Sherlock Holmes was Doyle's literary invention; English Holmeses are Yorkshire–Lancashire dense. European hereditary surnames crystallised broadly between the 12th and 14th centuries, and the Holmes name took its modern form within that long settlement.
What is the Holmes family known for?
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The holme, dry ground in the wet country. Sherlock Holmes was Doyle's literary invention; English Holmeses are Yorkshire–Lancashire dense.
Where is the Holmes surname found today?
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England is the primary historical home of the Holmes surname. In the modern era, the name is also borne across the wider diaspora, particularly in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, where families carry the line of descent from the same England origin recorded on this page.
What does the Clan Rising page for the Holmes family cover?
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The Clan Rising page for the Holmes family covers the meaning of the surname, the historical geography of the name and the seat of the head of the family. Each section is linked to the underlying atlas of England so the name can be read in the geography that shaped it.
Who is the head of the Holmes family today?
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The seat for the head of the Holmes family is currently vacant on this register. Clan Rising is rebuilding the chief and family structure for the modern era, and the family page allows readers to claim the seat or pledge to the name.