NameCensus.

UK surname

Homes

A locational surname indicating a place or origin.

In the 1881 census there were 528 people recorded with the Homes surname, ranking it #6,497 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 472, ranked #10,433, down from #6,497 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Dudley, St Leonard Shoreditch and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Suffolk Coastal, Waveney and Isle of Wight.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Homes is 815 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 10.6%.

1881 census count

528

Ranked #6,497

Modern count

472

2016, ranked #10,433

Peak year

1861

815 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Homes had 528 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,497 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 472 in 2016, ranked #10,433.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 815 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Suburban Professionals.

Homes surname distribution map

The map shows where the Homes surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Homes surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Homes over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 625 #4,145
1861 historical 815 #3,376
1881 historical 528 #6,497
1891 historical 763 #5,228
1901 historical 489 #8,180
1911 historical 649 #6,449
1997 modern 552 #8,634
1998 modern 514 #9,383
1999 modern 503 #9,618
2000 modern 473 #10,049
2001 modern 410 #11,016
2002 modern 413 #11,170
2003 modern 389 #11,490
2004 modern 384 #11,625
2005 modern 378 #11,692
2006 modern 378 #11,714
2007 modern 391 #11,570
2008 modern 403 #11,398
2009 modern 418 #11,309
2010 modern 426 #11,396
2011 modern 429 #11,197
2012 modern 438 #10,896
2013 modern 459 #10,682
2014 modern 477 #10,444
2015 modern 474 #10,418
2016 modern 472 #10,433

Geography

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Where Homes' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Dudley, St Leonard Shoreditch, London parishes, Great Yarmouth and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Suffolk Coastal, Waveney, Isle of Wight and Wycombe. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Dudley Staffordshire
2 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
3 London parishes London 3
4 Great Yarmouth Norfolk
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Suffolk Coastal 001 Suffolk Coastal
2 Waveney 004 Waveney
3 Isle of Wight 004 Isle of Wight
4 Wycombe 001 Wycombe
5 Waveney 001 Waveney

Forenames

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First names often paired with Homes

These lists show first names that appear often with the Homes surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Homes

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Homes, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Suburban Professionals

Nationally, the Homes surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Suburban Professionals, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Homes household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Employment in this Group is typically in managerial and professional occupations, and education to degree level is common. Residents are typically of working age, many of whom identify with an Indian ethnicity. Households are unlikely to be of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities, and English is not the main language used in some households. This Group is found on the outskirts of most conurbations as well as in the suburbs of some free-standing towns.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Homes is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Homes is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Homes falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Homes is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Homes, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Homes

The surname HOMES has its origins traced back to England, originating in the late medieval period around the 13th century. It is believed to be a locational surname, derived from the Old English words "ham" meaning a homestead or village, and "hom" which means a flat, low-lying meadow or water meadow. This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name were likely from a place named something akin to "Homes" or "Homefield."

One of the earliest recorded examples of the HOMES surname can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of Bedfordshire in 1279, where it was listed as "de Homes." This indicates that the name was already established by that time, potentially originating from a specific place called Homes or a similar variant.

The HOMES surname also appeared in various historical documents, such as the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1301, where it was written as "Homes." This provides evidence of the name's usage and spread throughout different regions of England during the medieval period.

Notable individuals with the HOMES surname include John Homes (c. 1500-1568), an English churchman and academic who served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford. Another prominent figure was Nathaniel Homes (1599-1678), an English clergyman and writer who authored several religious works.

In the 17th century, Edward Homes (1610-1695) was a notable English politician and lawyer who served as a Member of Parliament and Chief Justice of the Common Pleas. During the same period, Robert Homes (1622-1693) was a Scottish minister and theologian who played a significant role in the Church of Scotland.

Moving into the 18th century, Thomas Homes (1746-1828) was a Scottish author and literary critic who published works on various subjects, including literature and theology. His contemporaries included William Homes (1773-1853), an English engraver and artist known for his illustrations and engravings of architectural subjects.

Throughout history, the HOMES surname has been spelled in various ways, including Homes, Homs, Homme, and Hommes, reflecting the regional variations and linguistic changes over time. While the name may have evolved from a specific place name, it has since become a widely dispersed surname across England and beyond.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Homes families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Homes surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 104 Homes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.09x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 104 2.09x
Surrey 46 1.89x
Durham 32 2.16x
Staffordshire 32 1.90x
Herefordshire 26 12.72x
Worcestershire 26 3.99x
Devon 22 2.12x
Shropshire 22 5.11x
Warwickshire 19 1.51x
Norfolk 14 1.83x
Suffolk 14 2.31x
Yorkshire 13 0.26x
Cornwall 12 2.13x
Leicestershire 12 2.17x
Lincolnshire 12 1.51x
Cheshire 9 0.82x
Cumberland 8 1.86x
Kent 8 0.47x
Midlothian 8 1.20x
Nottinghamshire 7 1.04x
Aberdeenshire 6 1.30x
Lancashire 5 0.08x
Hampshire 4 0.39x
Lanarkshire 4 0.25x
Northumberland 4 0.54x
Renfrewshire 4 1.04x
Buckinghamshire 3 1.00x
Derbyshire 3 0.38x
Monmouthshire 3 0.83x
Montgomeryshire 3 2.63x
Perthshire 3 1.34x
Stirlingshire 3 1.63x
Berkshire 2 0.53x
Glamorgan 2 0.23x
Gloucestershire 2 0.20x
Somerset 2 0.25x
Sussex 2 0.24x
Anglesey 1 1.13x
Ayrshire 1 0.27x
Brecknockshire 1 1.00x
Essex 1 0.10x
Morayshire 1 1.29x
Northamptonshire 1 0.21x
Oxfordshire 1 0.32x
Radnorshire 1 2.49x
Royal Navy 1 1.68x
Rutland 1 2.73x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bethnal Green London in Middlesex leads with 35 Homes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.16x.

Place Total Index
Bethnal Green London 35 16.16x
Lambeth 15 3.45x
Shoreditch London 15 6.94x
Aston 11 3.18x
Dudley 11 13.90x
Great Yarmouth 11 17.33x
Newington 11 5.97x
St Agnes 11 139.24x
Hennock 9 681.82x
Tipton 9 17.47x
Birmingham 8 1.91x
Egremont 8 78.20x
Hackney London 8 2.86x
Leicester St Margaret 8 5.94x
Church Coppenhall 7 142.28x
Enfield 7 21.40x
Haswell 7 65.85x
Islington London 7 1.45x
Pontesbury 7 133.59x
Swynnerton 7 526.32x
Acton 6 606.06x
Aylesbeare 6 400.00x
Beccles 6 61.41x
Kingswinford 6 9.82x
Paddington London 6 3.27x
West Rainton 6 130.72x
Weston Under Penyard 6 419.58x
Winlaton 6 42.16x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 5 5.79x
Bermondsey 5 3.37x
Crook Billy Row 5 26.33x
Edinburgh Canongate 5 29.43x
Nottingham St Mary 5 2.88x
St Giles In Fields London 5 20.45x
Welland 5 335.57x
Ashperton 4 571.43x
Bosbury 4 236.69x
Bromfield 4 416.67x
Bromley London 4 3.65x
Hasbury 4 93.90x
Munsley 4 1379.31x
Newcastle On Tyne St 4 10.41x
Nutfield 4 217.39x
Paisley Middle Church 4 17.79x
Southwark St George Martyr 4 3.99x
Teddington London 4 35.43x
Whitworth 4 36.83x
Wroot 4 655.74x
Battersea 3 1.64x
Charterhouse London 3 127.66x
Churchstoke 3 138.89x
Condover 3 99.01x
Crieff 3 36.06x
Halesowen 3 52.54x
Hereford St John 3 128.76x
Hook 3 27.60x
Mile End Old Town London 3 2.83x
Minsterley 3 188.68x
Plumstead 3 5.29x
Stanton Under Bardon 3 681.82x
Strathblane 3 131.00x
Waddington 3 205.48x
Bilston 2 6.13x
Bury St Edmunds St Mary 2 17.56x
Crowle 2 41.24x
East Allington 2 224.72x
Gillingham 2 5.70x
Govan 2 0.50x
Iver 2 51.55x
Leigh 2 25.32x
Milwich 2 215.05x
Plymouth St Andrew 2 2.50x
Portsea 2 1.00x
Wednesfield 2 8.08x
Weston Super Mare 2 9.87x
Bradford 1 3.61x
Rotherhithe 1 1.62x
St George Bloomsbury 1 3.50x
Stoke Upon Trent 1 0.56x
Upleadon 1 250.00x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Homes surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 26
Elizabeth 22
Sarah 20
Eliza 13
Emma 12
Annie 9
Ann 8
Jane 8
Alice 6
Ellen 6
Maria 6
Caroline 5
Louisa 5
Emily 4
Hannah 4
Ada 3
Fanny 3
Harriet 3
Isabella 3
Margaret 3
Martha 3
Sophia 3
Agnes 2
Amelia 2
Anne 2
Bessie 2
Bridget 2
Catherine 2
Charlott 2
Charlotte 2
Clara 2
Elizebeth 2
Ethel 2
Flora 2
Gertrude 2
Hester 2
Jessie 2
Kate 2
Lilian 2
Minnie 2
Amy 1
Bethia 1
Elizth 1
Ellis 1
Emly 1
Homer 1
Isabell 1
Jesse 1
Julia 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Homes surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 37
John 30
Thomas 23
Henry 13
Charles 11
James 10
George 9
Joseph 9
Robert 9
Samuel 9
Walter 7
Benjamin 5
Edward 5
Richard 5
Albert 4
Frederick 4
Alfred 3
Arthur 3
David 3
Frank 3
Fredrick 3
Earnest 2
Harry 2
Alboin 1
Bertie 1
Dennis 1
Edwd 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Fred 1
Geo. 1
Georg 1
Harold 1
Horace 1
Invant 1
Jas. 1
Leonard 1
Mark 1
Octavius 1
Owen 1
Parnold 1
Philip 1
Ted 1

FAQ

Homes surname: questions and answers

How common was the Homes surname in 1881?

In 1881, 528 people were recorded with the Homes surname. That placed it at #6,497 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Homes surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 472 in 2016. That gives Homes a modern rank of #10,433.

What does the Homes surname mean?

A locational surname indicating a place or origin.

What does the Homes map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Homes bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.