Show ContentsHomes History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Homes family

The surname Homes was first found in the East Anglian county of Norfolk where Robert del Houme was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1222. In Worcester, Alan de Hone was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls for 1275, and a few years later, Henry and William Home were found in the Hundredorum Rolls for Oxfordshire in 1279. Walter of the home and John atte Home were both listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Worcester in 1327. [1]

The Hundredorum Rolls also included Goscelin de Holme, Suffolk and John in le Holmp (sic), Cambridgeshire. [2]

Further north, in the historic county of Yorkshire, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Thomas del Holme; Adam del Holme; and Johannes del Holme. [2]

"A holme is defined by Halliwell as 'flat land; a small island; a deposit of soil at the confluence of two waters. Flat grounds near water are called holms.' [3]

Early History of the Homes family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Homes research. Another 111 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1490, 1506, 1516, 1549, 1566, 1575, 1615, 1619, 1633, 1666, 1671, 1674, 1687, 1698, 1706, 1797 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Homes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Homes Spelling Variations

The name Homes, appeared in many references, and from time to time, the surname was spelt Home, Hume, Humes and others.

Early Notables of the Homes family

Notable amongst the family name during their early history was Alexander Home, 1st Lord Home (d. 1490); Alexander Home, 2nd Lord Home (d. 1506); Alexander Home, 3rd Lord Home (d. 1516); George Home, 4th Lord Home (d. 1549); Alexander Home, 5th Lord Home (d. 1575); Alexander Home, 1st Earl of Home (c. 1566-1619); James Home, 2nd Earl of Home (d...
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Homes Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Homes Ranking

In the United States, the name Homes is the 9,229th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [4]

Ireland Migration of the Homes family to Ireland

Some of the Homes family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 89 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Homes migration to the United States +

The New World beckoned as many of the settlers in Ireland, known as the Scotch/Irish, became disenchanted. They sailed aboard the armada of sailing ships known as the "White Sails" which plied the stormy Atlantic. Some called them, less romantically, the "coffin ships." Amongst the early settlers who could be considered kinsmen of the Homes family, or who bore a variation of the surname Homes were

Homes Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Margaret Homes, aged 23, who landed in Virginia in 1635 [5]
  • Miss Margaret Homes, (b. 1612), aged 23, British settler traveling aboard the ship "Safety" arriving in Virginia in 1635 [6]
  • Thomas Homes, servant who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1637 aboard the ship "The Rose" [5]
  • Peter Homes, who landed in Virginia in 1637 [5]
  • Silvester Homes, who landed in Maryland in 1657 [5]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Homes Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Ralph Homes, who landed in Virginia in 1700 [5]
  • Edward Homes, who landed in Virginia in 1702 [5]
  • Anne Homes, who landed in Virginia in 1714 [5]
  • William Homes, who landed in New England in 1715 [5]
  • Christoph Homes, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1753 [5]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Homes Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Henry Homes, who settled in New Bedford Massachusetts in 1822
  • George Homes, who landed in New York in 1852 [5]

Canada Homes migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Homes Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Mr. Absalom Homes U.E., "Holmes" who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 [7]
Homes Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Joseph Homes, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1835

Australia Homes migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Homes Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Sarah Homes, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Petrel" in 1851 [8]
  • Mr. James Homes, Scottish convict who was convicted in Edinburgh, Scotland for 14 years, transported aboard the "Fairlie" on 9th Mary 1852, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Island) [9]


  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  3. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  4. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  5. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  6. Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved October 5th 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  7. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  8. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) PETREL 1851. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1851Petrel.htm
  9. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 26th September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fairlie


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