NameCensus.

UK surname

Beggs

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic word "beag," meaning "small" or "little."

In the 1881 census there were 399 people recorded with the Beggs surname, ranking it #7,984 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 906, ranked #6,273, up from #7,984 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Toxteth Park and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Thrashbush, IZ11 and Liverpool.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Beggs is 960 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 127.1%.

1881 census count

399

Ranked #7,984

Modern count

906

2016, ranked #6,273

Peak year

2010

960 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Beggs had 399 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,984 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 906 in 2016, ranked #6,273.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 627 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Beggs surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Beggs surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Beggs 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 309 #7,449
1861 historical 467 #5,562
1881 historical 399 #7,984
1891 historical 627 #6,172
1901 historical 544 #7,583
1911 historical 302 #11,394
1997 modern 863 #6,165
1998 modern 887 #6,231
1999 modern 912 #6,140
2000 modern 883 #6,259
2001 modern 862 #6,264
2002 modern 890 #6,233
2003 modern 854 #6,323
2004 modern 853 #6,335
2005 modern 851 #6,308
2006 modern 851 #6,310
2007 modern 864 #6,297
2008 modern 863 #6,342
2009 modern 923 #6,137
2010 modern 960 #6,071
2011 modern 940 #6,113
2012 modern 892 #6,285
2013 modern 918 #6,254
2014 modern 911 #6,316
2015 modern 899 #6,330
2016 modern 906 #6,273

Geography

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Where Beggs' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Toxteth Park, Edinburgh, Manchester and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Thrashbush, IZ11, Liverpool, Kilbirnie South and Longbar and Warrington. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Toxteth Park Lancashire
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Thrashbush North Lanarkshire
2 IZ11 West Dunbartonshire
3 Liverpool 027 Liverpool
4 Kilbirnie South and Longbar North Ayrshire
5 Warrington 016 Warrington

Forenames

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First names often paired with Beggs

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Beggs

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Beggs, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Beggs surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Beggs household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Beggs is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Beggs is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Beggs falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Beggs 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Beggs

The surname "BEGGS" originated in Scotland in the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "beg," which means a small bag or pouch. The name likely referred to an occupation or trade involving carrying or making bags or pouches.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records in the Scottish Lowlands, particularly in the counties of Ayrshire and Lanarkshire. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name was in the Ragman Rolls, a collection of instruments of homage to King Edward I of England, where a John Beggs from Ayrshire swore fealty in 1296.

The name Beggs has also been found in various forms, such as Begges, Beggis, and Beggs, in historical documents and records, including the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland and the Register of the Great Seal of Scotland.

One notable person with the surname Beggs was Thomas Beggs, a Scottish clergyman who lived in the 16th century. He was the minister of Ayr from 1576 to 1590 and played a significant role in the Scottish Reformation.

Another notable figure was Sir John Beggs, a Scottish soldier and landowner who lived in the 17th century. He fought in the English Civil War and later acquired lands in County Antrim, Ireland, where he established the Beggs family estate.

In the 18th century, William Beggs, a Scottish merchant and trader, was involved in the tobacco trade between Glasgow and Virginia. He was also a member of the Virginia Company, a joint-stock company responsible for establishing the first permanent English settlement in North America.

In the 19th century, James Beggs, a Scottish-American engineer and inventor, was born in 1801. He is credited with designing and building one of the first successful locomotives in the United States, the Novelty, which participated in the famous Rainhill Trials in 1829.

Another notable person with the surname Beggs was John Beggs, a Scottish-American soldier and politician who lived in the 19th century. He served in the Union Army during the American Civil War and later became a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing West Virginia from 1875 to 1877.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Beggs families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Beggs 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. Lancashire leads with 129 Beggs' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.78x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 129 2.78x
Lanarkshire 98 7.75x
Ayrshire 32 10.93x
Middlesex 21 0.54x
Yorkshire 18 0.46x
Cheshire 14 1.62x
Wigtownshire 12 23.10x
Hampshire 10 1.25x
Dumfriesshire 9 10.42x
Argyllshire 8 7.35x
Midlothian 8 1.53x
Renfrewshire 8 2.64x
Derbyshire 7 1.14x
Kent 4 0.30x
Worcestershire 4 0.78x
Cumberland 3 0.89x
Durham 3 0.26x
Dunbartonshire 2 1.90x
Kirkcudbrightshire 2 3.53x
Royal Navy 2 4.29x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.28x
Devon 1 0.12x
Essex 1 0.13x
Inverness-shire 1 0.86x
Shropshire 1 0.30x
Staffordshire 1 0.08x
Surrey 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 25 Beggs' recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.81x.

Place Total Index
Barony 25 7.81x
Toxteth Park 23 14.63x
Barrow In Furness 20 31.68x
Liverpool 16 5.68x
Cadder 14 149.89x
Maryhill 13 52.50x
Preston 13 10.47x
West Derby 12 8.84x
Harrow On The Hill 10 128.04x
Loudoun 10 142.05x
Chorlton On Medlock 9 12.21x
Campbeltown 8 60.88x
Dumfries 8 93.90x
Keighley 8 19.36x
Tranmere 8 25.21x
Blantyre 7 53.15x
Burnley 7 17.91x
Cambusnethan 7 24.91x
Govan 7 2.24x
Rutherglen 7 37.72x
Aldershot 6 22.34x
Glasgow 6 2.67x
Hamilton 6 17.01x
Kilmarnock 6 17.22x
New Monkland 6 16.04x
Tarbolton 6 124.48x
Clayton Le Moors 5 55.49x
East Greenock 5 17.46x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 5 2.37x
Kirkdale 5 6.40x
Middlesbrough 5 9.90x
Stoneykirk 5 134.77x
Bootle Cum Linacre 4 10.85x
Bradford 4 4.26x
Everton 4 2.70x
Heston 4 30.79x
Liscard 4 25.71x
Staveley 4 36.80x
Walton On Hill 4 15.90x
Galston 3 37.45x
Hackney London 3 1.37x
Portpatrick 3 172.41x
Renfrew 3 29.97x
Ashton Under Lyne 2 1.97x
Beckenham 2 11.46x
Claines 2 14.27x
Dalkeith 2 19.34x
Dundonald 2 18.52x
Kings Norton 2 4.37x
Litchurch 2 8.11x
Macclesfield 2 5.21x
Medomsley 2 36.83x
New Alresford 2 96.15x
Old Cumnock 2 30.67x
Old Kilpatrick 2 16.10x
Old Luce 2 60.98x
Portsmouth 2 10.83x
Aberdeen Old Machar 1 1.32x
Ardersier 1 35.71x
Ayr 1 7.24x
Broomfield 1 82.64x
Cheriton 1 18.38x
Ellenborough Ewanrigg 1 42.74x
Girvan 1 13.61x
Glencairn 1 43.10x
Guildford St Nicholas 1 29.67x
Irongray 1 95.24x
Longeaton 1 384.62x
Mochrum 1 32.26x
North Leith 1 4.12x
Poplar London 1 1.35x
Skelbrooke 1 555.56x
South Shields 1 9.64x
St Pancras London 1 0.32x
Swalecliffe 1 526.32x
Troqueer 1 13.46x
Whitehaven 1 5.57x
Wolverhampton 1 0.98x
Workington 1 5.19x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 16
Elizabeth 8
Ann 6
Annie 5
Isabella 5
Jane 4
Eliza 3
Florence 3
Harriet 3
Margaret 3
Sarah 3
Agnes 2
Bridget 2
Catherine 2
Charlotte 2
Ellen 2
Janet 2
Rose 2
Ada 1
Alice 1
Amy 1
Anges 1
Anna 1
Betsy 1
Catharine 1
Christina 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Emma 1
Frances 1
Geo. 1
Helena 1
Henrietta 1
Kathleen 1
Lettita 1
Lizzie 1
Margret 1
Margt. 1
Maria 1
Marry 1
Minnie 1
Nelly 1
Precilla 1
Rebeccah 1
Ruth 1
Susanah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 15
William 14
James 11
George 10
Thomas 7
David 4
Joseph 4
Robert 4
Charles 3
Henry 3
Richard 3
Wm. 3
Alfred 2
Arthur 2
Edward 2
Francis 2
Hugh 2
Samuel 2
Albert 1
Allan 1
Benjamin 1
Ephraim 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Geo.A. 1
Hamilton 1
J.A. 1
Jno.William 1
Lawrence 1
Martin 1
Matthew 1
Michael 1
Peter 1
Sarah 1
Stephen 1
T.J.W. 1
Will.H. 1
Wm.Brown 1
Wm.Hy. 1

FAQ

Beggs surname: questions and answers

How common was the Beggs surname in 1881?

In 1881, 399 people were recorded with the Beggs surname. That placed it at #7,984 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Beggs surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 906 in 2016. That gives Beggs a modern rank of #6,273.

What does the Beggs surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic word "beag," meaning "small" or "little."

What does the Beggs map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Beggs 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.