NameCensus.

UK surname

Bigg

A surname stemming from the Old Norse word "bygg" meaning barley or barley grower.

In the 1881 census there were 943 people recorded with the Bigg surname, ranking it #4,088 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 601, ranked #8,708, down from #4,088 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Minster, London parishes and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Hertfordshire, Hastings and Chesterfield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bigg is 1,063 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 36.3%.

1881 census count

943

Ranked #4,088

Modern count

601

2016, ranked #8,708

Peak year

1911

1,063 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bigg had 943 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,088 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 601 in 2016, ranked #8,708.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,063 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Bigg surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bigg surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bigg 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 901 #3,053
1861 historical 953 #2,908
1881 historical 943 #4,088
1891 historical 1,058 #3,965
1901 historical 1,024 #4,662
1911 historical 1,063 #4,351
1997 modern 692 #7,314
1998 modern 690 #7,565
1999 modern 700 #7,513
2000 modern 680 #7,660
2001 modern 657 #7,732
2002 modern 668 #7,785
2003 modern 639 #7,921
2004 modern 635 #7,972
2005 modern 609 #8,188
2006 modern 614 #8,140
2007 modern 617 #8,184
2008 modern 621 #8,194
2009 modern 608 #8,509
2010 modern 627 #8,493
2011 modern 631 #8,357
2012 modern 603 #8,573
2013 modern 614 #8,589
2014 modern 613 #8,654
2015 modern 605 #8,678
2016 modern 601 #8,708

Geography

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Where Biggs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Minster, London parishes, Lambeth and Kimpton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Hertfordshire, Hastings, Chesterfield, Barnet and Wellingborough. 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 Minster Kent
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Kimpton Hertfordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Hertfordshire 015 North Hertfordshire
2 Hastings 007 Hastings
3 Chesterfield 006 Chesterfield
4 Barnet 022 Barnet
5 Wellingborough 006 Wellingborough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bigg

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bigg

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Bigg surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Bigg household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Bigg is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bigg is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bigg falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bigg 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 Bigg, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Bigg

The surname BIGG is of Anglo-Saxon origin, deriving from the Old English word "bygg" meaning "barley". It was originally an occupational name for someone who grew or traded in barley. The name first appeared in records in the 12th century in northern England and southern Scotland.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was William Bigg, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1198. The Pipe Rolls were a series of financial records maintained by the English Exchequer. Another early record is that of Roger Bigge, who was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls for Lincolnshire in 1221.

The Hundred Rolls of 1273 list a John Bigg as holding lands in Oxfordshire. This was a survey of landholders in England commissioned by King Edward I. The name is also found in the Domesday Book of 1086, the great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror, although the spellings vary slightly, such as Bigge and Bygg.

In the late 13th century, the name was also recorded in the form of Bigge in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex. These were tax records maintained by the English government. During the Middle Ages, the name was particularly concentrated in the counties of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Oxfordshire.

Some notable bearers of the name include Walter Bigg (1629-1696), an English writer and biographer who wrote a biography of Sir Francis Drake. Another was Lewis Bigg (1590-1670), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works. In the 18th century, there was John Bigg (1763-1841), an English landscape painter known for his rural scenes.

Moving into the 19th century, we have Henry Heather Bigg (1789-1845), a British naval officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812. He rose to the rank of Rear Admiral. Another notable figure was Robert Bigg (1835-1907), an English architect who designed several churches and other buildings in the Gothic Revival style.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bigg families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bigg 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 238 Biggs recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.59x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 238 2.59x
Kent 135 4.31x
Surrey 117 2.61x
Suffolk 66 5.90x
Essex 65 3.58x
Hertfordshire 58 9.16x
Bedfordshire 53 11.14x
Lancashire 41 0.38x
Sussex 23 1.48x
Buckinghamshire 13 2.34x
Hampshire 13 0.69x
Norfolk 10 0.71x
Derbyshire 9 0.63x
Dorset 9 1.49x
Herefordshire 9 2.39x
Caithness 7 5.56x
Devon 7 0.37x
Gloucestershire 7 0.39x
Nottinghamshire 7 0.57x
Northamptonshire 6 0.69x
Staffordshire 6 0.19x
Berkshire 5 0.72x
Yorkshire 5 0.05x
Cambridgeshire 4 0.69x
Monmouthshire 3 0.45x
Oxfordshire 3 0.53x
Stirlingshire 3 0.89x
Ayrshire 2 0.29x
Cornwall 2 0.19x
Denbighshire 2 0.58x
Glamorgan 2 0.13x
Royal Navy 2 1.83x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.12x
Cheshire 1 0.05x
Cumberland 1 0.13x
Durham 1 0.04x
Lanarkshire 1 0.03x
Lincolnshire 1 0.07x
Midlothian 1 0.08x
Northumberland 1 0.07x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.34x
West Lothian 1 0.72x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Camberwell in Surrey leads with 45 Biggs recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.67x.

Place Total Index
Camberwell 45 7.67x
Lambeth 34 4.24x
Islington London 33 3.71x
Luton 24 29.14x
Mile End Old Town London 21 10.74x
Ratcliffe London 19 37.45x
St Pancras London 19 2.57x
Minster In Sheppey 17 32.73x
Brighton 16 5.12x
Bromley London 16 7.91x
Glemsford 16 203.56x
Walthamstow 16 24.51x
West Ham 16 4.00x
Kensington London 13 2.54x
St Marylebone London 13 2.65x
Shoreditch London 12 3.01x
Aylesbury 11 44.68x
Eastchurch 11 355.99x
Greenwich 11 7.52x
Kimpton 11 370.37x
Stoke Newington London 10 13.97x
Weston 10 327.87x
Barrow In Furness 9 6.07x
Bromyard 9 181.45x
Edmonton 9 12.16x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 9 21.22x
Long Eaton 9 47.39x
Battersea 8 2.37x
Milton In Milton 8 60.02x
Roydon 8 300.75x
Sixpenny Handley 8 271.19x
Chelsea London 7 2.53x
Chorlton On Medlock 7 4.04x
Dunstable 7 47.88x
Hackney London 7 1.36x
Harrietsham 7 327.10x
Hendon 7 21.17x
Highweek 7 102.64x
Hundon 7 250.90x
Isleworth 7 17.14x
Olrig 7 111.47x
Pendleton In Salford 7 5.39x
Portsmouth 7 16.14x
Sittingbourne 7 28.27x
Stanstead 7 593.22x
Ulverston 7 22.04x
Bildeston 6 243.90x
Canterbury St Paul 6 106.57x
Chatham 6 6.96x
Edwardstone 6 434.78x
Great Waltham 6 81.19x
Maidstone 6 6.42x
Marholm 6 1153.85x
Poplar London 6 3.46x
Stotfold 6 65.86x
Wheathampstead 6 81.97x
Wootton 6 145.99x
Clerkenwell London 5 2.31x
Colchester St Botolph 5 32.40x
Everton 5 1.44x
Harpenden 5 51.76x
Kings Walden 5 139.66x
Nottingham St Mary 5 1.56x
Reading St Giles 5 7.39x
Reigate Foreign 5 10.31x
St Paul Walden 5 155.76x
Totteridge 5 252.53x
Westbury On Trym 5 8.19x
Whitechapel London 5 5.52x
Bedford St Peter 4 32.36x
Canterbury St Mary 4 19.01x
Erith 4 12.95x
Harrold 4 124.22x
Hollingbourn 4 110.50x
Milden 4 714.29x
Nuthurst 4 156.25x
Old Tower Without London 4 1142.86x
Penge 4 6.81x
Wandsworth 4 4.52x
Whittlesey St Mary St 4 19.68x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 54
John 45
George 34
Thomas 31
Charles 30
Henry 21
Alfred 19
James 19
Edward 17
Arthur 13
Walter 12
Albert 8
Edwin 8
Frederick 8
Richard 8
Joseph 7
Fredrick 6
Robert 6
Samuel 6
Ernest 5
Fredk. 5
Harry 5
Edmund 4
Frank 4
Lionel 4
David 3
Reginald 3
Alexander 2
Amos 2
Christopher 2
Francis 2
Fredk.W. 2
Geo. 2
Herbert 2
Leonard 2
Sidney 2
Archibald 1
Benjamin 1
Bertram 1
C.W. 1
Chales 1
Daniel 1
E.W. 1
Edw. 1
Edwd. 1
Edwd.Jno. 1
Harold 1
Horace 1
Isaac 1
Wm.Edwd. 1

FAQ

Bigg surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bigg surname in 1881?

In 1881, 943 people were recorded with the Bigg surname. That placed it at #4,088 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bigg surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 601 in 2016. That gives Bigg a modern rank of #8,708.

What does the Bigg surname mean?

A surname stemming from the Old Norse word "bygg" meaning barley or barley grower.

What does the Bigg map show?

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