NameCensus.

UK surname

Briggs

An English occupational surname referring to a dweller near a bridge or a bridge builder.

In the 1881 census there were 16,242 people recorded with the Briggs surname, ranking it #240 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 18,264, ranked #327, down from #240 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Halifax, London parishes and Bradford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Bradford and Sheffield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Briggs is 21,188 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 12.4%.

1881 census count

16,242

Ranked #240

Modern count

18,264

2016, ranked #327

Peak year

1911

21,188 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Briggs had 16,242 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #240 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 18,264 in 2016, ranked #327.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 21,188 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Briggs surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Briggs surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Briggs 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 10,524 #240
1861 historical 10,888 #230
1881 historical 16,242 #240
1891 historical 17,452 #229
1901 historical 19,946 #243
1911 historical 21,188 #203
1997 modern 18,840 #305
1998 modern 19,298 #311
1999 modern 19,287 #315
2000 modern 18,962 #318
2001 modern 18,593 #318
2002 modern 18,946 #316
2003 modern 18,356 #320
2004 modern 18,323 #321
2005 modern 18,104 #320
2006 modern 18,114 #320
2007 modern 18,194 #320
2008 modern 18,209 #320
2009 modern 18,557 #322
2010 modern 18,946 #322
2011 modern 18,610 #323
2012 modern 18,262 #325
2013 modern 18,600 #325
2014 modern 18,718 #324
2015 modern 18,413 #327
2016 modern 18,264 #327

Geography

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Where Briggs' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Halifax, London parishes, Bradford, Sheffield and Blackburn. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, Bradford, Sheffield and Hyndburn. 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 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
2 London parishes London 3
3 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Blackburn Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 034 County Durham
2 Bradford 052 Bradford
3 Sheffield 032 Sheffield
4 Hyndburn 002 Hyndburn
5 Bradford 058 Bradford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Briggs

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Briggs

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Briggs, 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 Briggs surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Briggs 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Briggs is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Briggs 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

Briggs 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 Briggs 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 Briggs, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Briggs

The surname Briggs has its origins in England, where it first emerged in the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English word "brycg," meaning "bridge." This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who lived near a bridge or worked as a bridge-keeper.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various historical documents from the 13th century. For example, the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1273 mention a Robert de Brigg, while the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1279 reference a Henry de la Brugge.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings in England compiled in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Briggs. However, it does mention several place names that may have contributed to the development of the surname, such as Brugge in Hertfordshire and Bruges in Norfolk.

Over the centuries, the name has undergone various spelling variations, including Brigg, Brigge, and Brugge, reflecting regional dialects and the evolving nature of English orthography.

One notable individual bearing the surname Briggs was Henry Briggs (1561-1630), an English mathematician and professor at Oxford University. He is best known for his work on logarithms and his collaboration with John Napier, the inventor of logarithms.

Another prominent figure was Henry Briggs (1556-1630), a Yorkshire landowner and Member of Parliament during the reign of King James I. He played a role in the English Reformation and was a supporter of the Puritan movement.

In the literary realm, John Briggs (1785-1859) was an English writer and painter who authored works on historical and antiquarian subjects, including "The Massa Candida" and "Illustrations of the Ancient State and Chivalry of the Principality of Wales."

The American Revolution produced a notable figure in the form of John Briggs (1766-1846), a soldier and politician from Massachusetts. He served in the Continental Army and later became a member of the United States House of Representatives.

Finally, Richard Briggs (1819-1886) was an English-born Australian politician and businessman. He played a significant role in the development of the Victorian goldfields and served as a member of the Legislative Council of Victoria.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Briggs families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Briggs 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. Yorkshire leads with 5,325 Briggs' recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.39x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 5,325 3.39x
Lancashire 2,726 1.45x
Middlesex 1,110 0.70x
Lincolnshire 752 2.96x
Durham 579 1.23x
Surrey 563 0.73x
Derbyshire 554 2.23x
Nottinghamshire 484 2.26x
Kent 403 0.74x
Norfolk 333 1.37x
Leicestershire 266 1.51x
Sussex 243 0.91x
Cumberland 237 1.73x
Staffordshire 207 0.39x
Northamptonshire 200 1.34x
Warwickshire 190 0.47x
Suffolk 184 0.95x
Cambridgeshire 176 1.75x
Northumberland 168 0.71x
Cheshire 156 0.45x
Essex 146 0.47x
Hampshire 143 0.44x
Worcestershire 101 0.49x
Midlothian 93 0.44x
Devon 86 0.26x
Fife 80 0.85x
Huntingdonshire 80 2.54x
Shropshire 52 0.38x
Lanarkshire 46 0.09x
Gloucestershire 43 0.14x
Angus 40 0.27x
Bedfordshire 38 0.46x
Westmorland 37 1.06x
Berkshire 34 0.29x
East Lothian 30 1.43x
Monmouthshire 30 0.26x
Buckinghamshire 26 0.27x
Kirkcudbrightshire 26 1.13x
Roxburghshire 26 0.90x
Ayrshire 24 0.20x
Rutland 24 2.06x
Berwickshire 23 1.20x
Wigtownshire 21 1.00x
Dorset 17 0.16x
Renfrewshire 17 0.14x
Glamorgan 15 0.05x
Hertfordshire 15 0.14x
Oxfordshire 12 0.12x
Channel Islands 10 0.21x
Caernarfonshire 9 0.14x
Kinross-shire 7 1.75x
Royal Navy 7 0.37x
Aberdeenshire 5 0.03x
Cornwall 5 0.03x
Herefordshire 5 0.08x
Radnorshire 5 0.39x
Somerset 5 0.02x
Dumfriesshire 4 0.11x
Flintshire 4 0.09x
Wiltshire 4 0.03x
Pembrokeshire 3 0.06x
Dunbartonshire 2 0.05x
Isle of Man 2 0.07x
Perthshire 2 0.03x
Cardiganshire 1 0.03x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.02x
Merionethshire 1 0.03x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.03x
Morayshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 343 Briggs' recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.86x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 343 3.86x
Over Darwen 253 16.82x
Blackburn 200 3.99x
Horton In Bradford 188 7.66x
Bradford 135 3.55x
Hackney London 128 1.44x
Clayton 127 33.00x
Manningham 120 6.20x
Accrington 116 6.78x
Sheffield 116 2.32x
Bingley 114 11.39x
Nottingham St Mary 103 1.86x
Clitheroe 102 18.41x
North Bierley 96 11.31x
Huddersfield 94 4.10x
Habergham Eaves 93 5.40x
Wyke In Bradford 92 32.72x
Hunslet 90 3.67x
Halifax 89 3.86x
Islington London 89 0.58x
Salford 82 1.48x
St Pancras London 82 0.64x
Armley 81 11.68x
Northowram 81 7.35x
Aston 80 0.73x
Shipley 80 9.80x
Bowling 79 5.07x
Camberwell 79 0.78x
Shoreditch London 79 1.15x
Wortley In Bramley 77 6.18x
West Ham 76 1.10x
Hipperholme Cum 75 10.86x
Newington 74 1.26x
Idle 72 9.88x
Lambeth 72 0.52x
Pilkington 72 10.07x
Kensington London 71 0.80x
St Marylebone London 71 0.84x
Cleckheaton 70 12.09x
Brighton 69 1.28x
Leicester St Margaret 69 1.61x
Manchester 65 0.77x
Thornton In Bradford 65 12.42x
Ossett Cum Gawthorpe 64 11.40x
Pudsey 64 7.62x
Denby 62 81.77x
Keighley 62 3.70x
Portsea 62 0.97x
Bethnal Green London 58 0.84x
Broughton In Salford 57 3.31x
Birmingham 55 0.41x
Burnley 54 3.41x
Elland Cum Greetland 54 7.62x
Nether Hallam 54 2.54x
Batley 53 3.55x
Bishopwearmouth 53 1.31x
Holy Trinity 53 1.40x
Skircoat 52 8.39x
Ecclesall Bierlow 51 1.59x
Mile End Old Town London 51 1.51x
Spotland 51 2.44x
Wakefield 51 4.23x
Gomersal 50 6.81x
Liverpool 49 0.43x
Great Grimsby 48 2.98x
Sutton In Ashfield 48 10.34x
Great Bolton 47 1.88x
Ilkeston 47 6.75x
Preston 47 0.93x
Gateshead 46 1.30x
Little Bolton 46 1.90x
Ulverston 46 8.39x
Croydon 45 1.05x
Soothill 43 7.57x
Stainland Cum Old 43 15.98x
Castleton 42 2.23x
Oldham 42 0.69x
Prestwich 42 8.94x
Knottingley 41 14.84x
Liversedge 40 5.72x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 1,114
Elizabeth 633
Sarah 620
Ann 338
Jane 317
Alice 266
Annie 251
Emma 242
Hannah 223
Eliza 211
Ellen 202
Margaret 170
Martha 170
Emily 160
Fanny 108
Harriet 101
Ada 94
Charlotte 94
Lucy 81
Edith 78
Louisa 78
Maria 76
Clara 73
Florence 73
Catherine 72
Agnes 62
Harriett 58
Esther 55
Caroline 54
Isabella 51
Frances 50
Rebecca 49
Kate 48
Susan 48
Ruth 39
Amelia 36
Anne 36
Elizth. 35
Rose 32
Sophia 32
Susannah 32
Gertrude 31
Betsy 30
Eleanor 29
Ethel 29
Amy 26
Grace 26
Lydia 26
Henrietta 25
Nancy 25

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 1,028
William 864
Thomas 550
George 524
James 510
Joseph 365
Henry 299
Charles 293
Robert 229
Arthur 188
Edward 150
Samuel 138
Alfred 137
Walter 122
Frederick 112
Harry 98
Richard 96
Albert 84
Fred 78
Herbert 76
David 60
Tom 54
Benjamin 53
Edwin 52
Frank 52
Wm. 44
Ernest 40
Isaac 35
Abraham 30
Francis 29
Thos. 27
Daniel 25
Ralph 22
Stephen 22
Fredrick 21
Sam 20
Andrew 19
Joe 19
Joshua 19
Christopher 17
Geo. 17
Peter 17
Willie 17
Jno. 16
Jonathan 15
Jesse 14
Jonas 14
Mark 14
Sidney 13
Timothy 12

FAQ

Briggs surname: questions and answers

How common was the Briggs surname in 1881?

In 1881, 16,242 people were recorded with the Briggs surname. That placed it at #240 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Briggs surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 18,264 in 2016. That gives Briggs a modern rank of #327.

What does the Briggs surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a dweller near a bridge or a bridge builder.

What does the Briggs map show?

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