NameCensus.

UK surname

Biggs

An English occupational surname referring to someone of large stature or great power and strength.

In the 1881 census there were 5,634 people recorded with the Biggs surname, ranking it #785 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 7,566, ranked #884, down from #785 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Blackburn with Darwen, Shropshire and Bradford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Biggs is 8,251 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 34.3%.

1881 census count

5,634

Ranked #785

Modern count

7,566

2016, ranked #884

Peak year

1999

8,251 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Biggs had 5,634 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #785 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 7,566 in 2016, ranked #884.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 7,867 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Biggs surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Biggs surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Biggs 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 3,531 #802
1861 historical 3,582 #783
1881 historical 5,634 #785
1891 historical 6,070 #764
1901 historical 7,138 #771
1911 historical 7,867 #653
1997 modern 7,962 #811
1998 modern 8,228 #810
1999 modern 8,251 #817
2000 modern 8,174 #817
2001 modern 7,972 #819
2002 modern 8,055 #833
2003 modern 7,792 #839
2004 modern 7,755 #841
2005 modern 7,562 #853
2006 modern 7,497 #866
2007 modern 7,493 #873
2008 modern 7,493 #882
2009 modern 7,647 #887
2010 modern 7,806 #883
2011 modern 7,684 #887
2012 modern 7,525 #883
2013 modern 7,680 #878
2014 modern 7,712 #881
2015 modern 7,630 #881
2016 modern 7,566 #884

Geography

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Where Biggs' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, St Pancras and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Blackburn with Darwen, Shropshire, Bradford, Telford and Wrekin and South Cambridgeshire. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Blackburn with Darwen 008 Blackburn with Darwen
2 Shropshire 011 Shropshire
3 Bradford 047 Bradford
4 Telford and Wrekin 019 Telford and Wrekin
5 South Cambridgeshire 006 South Cambridgeshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Biggs

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Biggs

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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Biggs 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

Biggs is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Biggs falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Biggs

The surname Biggs is of English origin, derived from the medieval personal name Bigg or Bigge, which was a nickname for a stout or plump person. This nickname likely evolved from the Old English word "bygg," meaning barley or a type of coarse grain.

The name Biggs can be traced back to the 13th century in various English records. One of the earliest known references is in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, which mentions a William Bigge. The Bigges family was also recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various spellings, such as Bigge, Bygg, and Bygges, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling at the time. The Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1379 include a reference to a Johannes Bigges.

The Domesday Book, the great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Biggs, as it predates the widespread adoption of hereditary surnames.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Biggs was John Biggs, a wealthy merchant and landowner who lived in the 15th century. He was a prominent figure in the city of Bristol and served as the Mayor of Bristol in 1439.

Another notable person with the surname Biggs was Walter Bigg, a 16th-century English clergyman and scholar. He was born in Norfolk around 1505 and later became the Bishop of Norwich, serving from 1536 until his death in 1549.

In the 17th century, the Biggs surname was associated with several notable figures, including Nathaniel Biggs, an English mathematician and astronomer born in 1623. He made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1667.

William Biggs, a 17th-century English physician and botanist, was born in 1670. He is best known for his work on plant classification and his contributions to the study of medicinal plants.

During the 18th century, John Biggs, a British explorer and navigator, gained recognition for his voyages to the South Pacific. He was born in 1745 and led several expeditions to explore and map various islands in the region.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Biggs families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Biggs 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 1,164 Biggs' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.11x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 1,164 2.11x
Surrey 444 1.65x
Somerset 292 3.29x
Essex 284 2.61x
Hampshire 271 2.40x
Buckinghamshire 270 8.11x
Gloucestershire 255 2.36x
Leicestershire 248 4.06x
Kent 238 1.27x
Staffordshire 149 0.80x
Warwickshire 149 1.07x
Lancashire 141 0.22x
Hertfordshire 136 3.58x
Cambridgeshire 122 3.50x
Shropshire 116 2.44x
Yorkshire 112 0.21x
Wiltshire 110 2.26x
Sussex 107 1.15x
Bedfordshire 94 3.30x
Worcestershire 90 1.25x
Durham 70 0.43x
Oxfordshire 69 2.03x
Monmouthshire 68 1.71x
Herefordshire 64 2.83x
Glamorgan 59 0.62x
Northamptonshire 57 1.10x
Berkshire 52 1.26x
Northumberland 52 0.63x
Suffolk 46 0.69x
Cheshire 45 0.37x
Derbyshire 36 0.42x
Devon 32 0.28x
Dorset 26 0.72x
Lincolnshire 23 0.26x
Nottinghamshire 22 0.30x
Fife 17 0.52x
Lanarkshire 15 0.08x
Norfolk 13 0.15x
Ayrshire 12 0.29x
Pembrokeshire 12 0.69x
Channel Islands 9 0.55x
Cumberland 7 0.15x
Brecknockshire 6 0.54x
Royal Navy 6 0.91x
Wigtownshire 6 0.82x
Midlothian 5 0.07x
Montgomeryshire 4 0.32x
Angus 3 0.06x
Huntingdonshire 2 0.18x
Perthshire 2 0.08x
Radnorshire 2 0.45x
Stirlingshire 2 0.10x
Anglesey 1 0.10x
Berwickshire 1 0.15x
Cornwall 1 0.02x
Flintshire 1 0.07x
Renfrewshire 1 0.02x
Rutland 1 0.25x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leicester St Margaret in Leicestershire leads with 94 Biggs' recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.31x.

Place Total Index
Leicester St Margaret 94 6.31x
West Ham 94 3.92x
Lambeth 88 1.83x
Shoreditch London 83 3.48x
Islington London 82 1.54x
St Pancras London 77 1.74x
Kensington London 67 2.19x
Walcot 64 13.56x
Birmingham 61 1.32x
St Marylebone London 59 2.01x
Hackney London 55 1.78x
Portsea 50 2.26x
St George Hanover Square 49 5.05x
South Stoneham 46 18.79x
Chelsea London 44 2.65x
Camberwell 43 1.22x
Poplar London 41 3.95x
Luton 40 8.10x
Bromley London 39 3.22x
Mile End Old Town London 39 3.33x
Hammersmith London 38 2.80x
Paddington London 38 1.88x
Enderby 36 113.89x
Leicester St Mary 36 7.30x
Bermondsey 35 2.14x
Brighton 32 1.71x
Hughenden 32 94.15x
Battersea 31 1.53x
Wycombe 31 12.49x
Bethnal Green London 30 1.25x
Lidlington 29 233.12x
Rotherhithe 29 4.26x
Roath 28 6.43x
Ryde 28 11.55x
Newington 26 1.28x
Wellow 26 99.73x
Woughton On Green 25 574.71x
Clerkenwell London 24 1.85x
Cublington 24 491.80x
St Luke London 24 2.72x
Bedminster 23 2.76x
Bow London 23 3.28x
Harrow 23 27.33x
Kingston On Thames 23 3.57x
Westbury On Trym 23 6.29x
Aston 22 0.58x
Beckington 22 125.93x
Sedgley 22 3.19x
St Andrewthe Less 22 5.52x
Westminster St John 22 3.28x
Bristol St George 21 4.20x
Clifton 21 3.85x
Liverpool 21 0.53x
North Marston 21 170.59x
Bradford On Avon 20 12.83x
Watford 20 6.80x
West Wycombe 20 44.29x
Balsham 19 99.58x
Bristol St Paul In 19 6.60x
Dudley 19 2.17x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 19 9.61x
Greenwich 19 2.17x
Langley Marish 19 46.49x
Bedwellty 18 2.56x
Boxted 18 115.61x
Ealing 18 3.66x
West Derby 18 0.94x
Gravesend 17 10.69x
Hendon 17 8.58x
Lyncombe Widcombe 17 7.33x
Maidstone 17 3.04x
Cannock 16 4.93x
Deptford St Paul 16 1.10x
Eltham 16 14.53x
Histon 16 87.53x
Llanover 16 11.77x
Winterbourne 16 26.81x
Braunston 15 74.22x
Lewisham 15 1.50x
St George In East London 15 2.90x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 314
Elizabeth 218
Sarah 207
Jane 103
Ellen 98
Emily 97
Ann 94
Emma 94
Eliza 90
Annie 87
Alice 86
Martha 63
Hannah 48
Harriet 46
Maria 43
Charlotte 41
Fanny 38
Florence 38
Louisa 38
Caroline 37
Ada 36
Susan 34
Amelia 29
Edith 29
Kate 28
Rebecca 25
Frances 24
Margaret 24
Rose 23
Catherine 21
Clara 21
Harriett 21
Jessie 20
Agnes 18
Anne 18
Minnie 17
Sophia 17
Amy 16
Lucy 16
Matilda 16
Esther 15
Lizzie 15
Isabella 13
Lydia 12
Beatrice 10
Elizth. 10
Gertrude 10
Julia 10
Laura 9
Rosa 9

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 353
John 255
George 231
James 169
Thomas 151
Charles 144
Henry 123
Joseph 98
Alfred 71
Arthur 71
Edward 66
Walter 58
Frederick 56
Robert 55
Albert 51
Richard 41
Harry 38
Frank 32
Samuel 31
Benjamin 22
Edwin 20
Ernest 20
Herbert 20
Daniel 17
Francis 16
Sidney 15
Fredrick 12
David 10
Geo. 8
Tom 8
Chas. 7
Edgar 7
Fredk. 7
Gilbert 7
Isaac 7
Owen 7
Thos. 7
Christopher 6
Horace 6
Lewis 6
Mark 6
Stephen 6
Theodore 6
Wm. 6
Eli 5
Jesse 5
Job 5
Leonard 5
Levi 5
Percy 5

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Biggs households.

FAQ

Biggs surname: questions and answers

How common was the Biggs surname in 1881?

In 1881, 5,634 people were recorded with the Biggs surname. That placed it at #785 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Biggs surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 7,566 in 2016. That gives Biggs a modern rank of #884.

What does the Biggs surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to someone of large stature or great power and strength.

What does the Biggs map show?

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