NameCensus.

UK surname

Bigsby

A surname possibly locational in origin, derived from a place name with "big" meaning large.

In the 1881 census there were 87 people recorded with the Bigsby surname, ranking it #21,334 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 114, ranked #28,515, down from #21,334 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and St Paul Deptford, St Nicholas Deptford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Eastbourne, Scarborough and Bath and North East Somerset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bigsby is 141 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 31.0%.

1881 census count

87

Ranked #21,334

Modern count

114

2016, ranked #28,515

Peak year

1998

141 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bigsby had 87 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,334 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 114 in 2016, ranked #28,515.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 133 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Multicultural Inner Suburbs.

Bigsby surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bigsby surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bigsby 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 89 #18,446
1861 historical 58 #26,585
1881 historical 87 #21,334
1891 historical 94 #24,820
1901 historical 133 #19,372
1911 historical 115 #20,951
1997 modern 133 #22,705
1998 modern 141 #22,517
1999 modern 140 #22,789
2000 modern 140 #22,752
2001 modern 133 #23,132
2002 modern 140 #22,876
2003 modern 139 #22,734
2004 modern 127 #24,224
2005 modern 124 #24,529
2006 modern 130 #24,053
2007 modern 127 #24,748
2008 modern 124 #25,371
2009 modern 126 #25,686
2010 modern 136 #25,009
2011 modern 125 #26,220
2012 modern 117 #27,394
2013 modern 119 #27,541
2014 modern 122 #27,358
2015 modern 119 #27,684
2016 modern 114 #28,515

Geography

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Where Bigsbys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, St Paul Deptford, St Nicholas Deptford, St Marylebone and Otley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Eastbourne, Scarborough, Bath and North East Somerset and Cambridge. 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 London parishes London 3
2 St Pancras London (North Districts)
3 St Paul Deptford, St Nicholas Deptford London (South Districts)
4 St Marylebone London (North Districts)
5 Otley Suffolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Eastbourne 003 Eastbourne
2 Eastbourne 007 Eastbourne
3 Scarborough 005 Scarborough
4 Bath and North East Somerset 004 Bath and North East Somerset
5 Cambridge 007 Cambridge

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bigsby

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bigsby

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

Baseline UK

Group

Multicultural Inner Suburbs

Nationally, the Bigsby surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Multicultural Inner Suburbs, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Bigsby household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house many younger and middle-aged adults with children. All ethnic minorities, apart from those identifying as Pakistani or Bangladeshi, appear to be present in above average proportions. Affiliation to Christian religions is uncommon. Long-term disability rates are low, mirrored in limited provision of unpaid care. Privately rented terrace houses and flats are the norm. Managerial, professional and technical occupations are prevalent, and work is rarely part time. Many individuals have degree level qualifications. These areas form the inner suburbs of many of the UK’s towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Bigsby 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

Bigsby is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bigsby falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Bigsby

The surname Bigsby is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name derived from the Old English words "byg" meaning "ridge" and "by" meaning "settlement," referring to someone who lived near a ridge settlement.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Biggesby." This suggests that the name was already well-established in England by the time of the Norman Conquest.

In the 13th century, the name was recorded as "Bigesbi" in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire, indicating that the family may have originated or had holdings in that county.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the surname began to appear in various spellings, such as "Biggesby," "Biggisbie," and "Biggisby," reflecting the fluid nature of spelling conventions at the time.

One notable figure with the surname Bigsby was Sir John Bigsby (1780-1868), an English geologist and explorer who conducted extensive surveys in Canada and published several works on the geology and natural history of North America.

Another individual of note was William Bigsby (1786-1861), an English clergyman and antiquarian who wrote extensively on the history and antiquities of Repton and its surrounding areas in Derbyshire.

In the 18th century, a prominent figure with the surname was John Jeremiah Bigsby (1792-1881), an English-born physician and geologist who settled in Canada and became a pioneer in the field of Canadian geology.

During the 19th century, the surname Bigsby was also associated with Edward Bigsby (1807-1878), an English artist and illustrator known for his work on Thomas Carlyle's "Latter-Day Pamphlets."

Another individual of note was Robert Bigsby (1806-1873), an English architect and civil engineer who designed several notable buildings in London and the surrounding areas.

Throughout its history, the surname Bigsby has maintained a strong connection to its English roots, with many bearers contributing to various fields, including geology, exploration, literature, art, and architecture.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bigsby families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bigsby 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 27 Bigsbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.18x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 27 3.18x
Essex 24 14.33x
Kent 19 6.56x
Surrey 9 2.18x
Suffolk 4 3.87x
Somerset 2 1.46x
Hampshire 1 0.57x
Sussex 1 0.70x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Deptford St Paul in Kent leads with 13 Bigsbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 58.22x.

Place Total Index
Deptford St Paul 13 58.22x
Dagenham 9 900.00x
Manningtree 9 3333.33x
Rotherhithe 7 66.73x
St Marylebone London 7 15.45x
Clerkenwell London 6 29.96x
St Andrew Holborn London 6 163.49x
Tonbridge 5 47.89x
Hornsey 4 37.28x
Prittlewell 4 172.41x
Chelsea London 2 7.82x
Frensham 2 327.87x
Otley 2 1111.11x
Weston Super Mare 2 57.97x
Aldershot 1 17.15x
Bexley 1 39.06x
East Ham 1 32.15x
Ipswich St Margaret 1 28.49x
Islington London 1 1.22x
Paddington London 1 3.21x
Pulborough 1 188.68x
Sudbury St Gregory 1 120.48x
Wix 1 555.56x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Eliza 4
Elizabeth 4
Amelia 3
Kate 3
Maria 3
Mary 3
Emma 2
Sarah 2
Alice 1
Caroline 1
Charlotte 1
E. 1
Emilie 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Ethel 1
Flora 1
Frances 1
Grace 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Jane 1
Julia 1
Katherine 1
Lucy 1
Lydia 1
Madeline 1
Phoeby 1
Rachel 1
Rose 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 8
Henry 5
George 4
Charles 3
Joseph 3
Edward 2
James 2
Robert 2
Alfred 1
Edgar 1
Ernest 1
Frederick 1
Herbert 1
Jesse 1
Sydney 1
Victor 1
William 1
Willm. 1
Wm.J. 1

FAQ

Bigsby surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bigsby surname in 1881?

In 1881, 87 people were recorded with the Bigsby surname. That placed it at #21,334 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bigsby surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 114 in 2016. That gives Bigsby a modern rank of #28,515.

What does the Bigsby surname mean?

A surname possibly locational in origin, derived from a place name with "big" meaning large.

What does the Bigsby map show?

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