NameCensus.

UK surname

Diggens

In the 1881 census there were 160 people recorded with the Diggens surname, ranking it #14,860 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 283, ranked #15,359, down from #14,860 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, London parishes and Tunbridge, Bidborough. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Suffolk Coastal, South Northamptonshire and Colchester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Diggens is 313 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 76.9%.

1881 census count

160

Ranked #14,860

Modern count

283

2016, ranked #15,359

Peak year

1911

313 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Diggens had 160 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,860 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 283 in 2016, ranked #15,359.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 313 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Diggens surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Diggens surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Diggens 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 152 #12,786
1861 historical 136 #16,556
1881 historical 160 #14,860
1891 historical 233 #13,392
1901 historical 266 #12,617
1911 historical 313 #11,108
1997 modern 283 #14,037
1998 modern 283 #14,442
1999 modern 295 #14,108
2000 modern 294 #14,105
2001 modern 301 #13,700
2002 modern 304 #13,887
2003 modern 305 #13,662
2004 modern 298 #13,937
2005 modern 274 #14,663
2006 modern 274 #14,769
2007 modern 278 #14,773
2008 modern 284 #14,687
2009 modern 285 #14,944
2010 modern 286 #15,231
2011 modern 276 #15,471
2012 modern 283 #15,115
2013 modern 278 #15,618
2014 modern 280 #15,621
2015 modern 279 #15,527
2016 modern 283 #15,359

Geography

Back to top

Where Diggens' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, London parishes, Tunbridge, Bidborough and Colchester St Botolph, St Mary at the Walls, St Giles, St Mary Magdalen, Holy Trinity, St Runwald, a. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Suffolk Coastal, South Northamptonshire, Colchester, Northumberland and Babergh. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Tunbridge, Bidborough Kent
4 London parishes London 3
5 Colchester St Botolph, St Mary at the Walls, St Giles, St Mary Magdalen, Holy Trinity, St Runwald, a Essex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Suffolk Coastal 002 Suffolk Coastal
2 South Northamptonshire 011 South Northamptonshire
3 Colchester 017 Colchester
4 Northumberland 006 Northumberland
5 Babergh 007 Babergh

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Diggens

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Diggens

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

Diggens is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

1881 census detail

Back to top

Diggens families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Diggens 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 34 Diggens' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.16x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 34 2.16x
Sussex 30 11.33x
Norfolk 27 11.18x
Suffolk 18 9.41x
Essex 13 4.19x
Surrey 10 1.31x
Kent 9 1.68x
Berkshire 4 3.39x
Hertfordshire 4 3.70x
Devon 3 0.92x
Somerset 3 1.19x
Hampshire 2 0.62x
Lancashire 2 0.11x
Royal Navy 1 5.34x
Shropshire 1 0.74x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 18 Diggens' recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.83x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 18 11.83x
Brighton 13 24.34x
Tonbridge 9 46.56x
Barham 7 2800.00x
Steeple Bumpstead 7 1228.07x
Stoke By Nayland 7 1129.03x
Felpham 6 2000.00x
Norwich St Andrew 6 1463.41x
Holme Next Sea 5 3125.00x
Rotherhithe 5 25.77x
Bosham 4 597.01x
Chelsea London 4 8.45x
Holt 4 481.93x
St Pancras London 4 3.16x
Watford 4 47.68x
Westhampnett 4 1428.57x
Colchester St James 3 238.10x
Norwich St George Colegate 3 340.91x
Tormoham 3 21.69x
Barking 2 202.02x
Battersea 2 3.46x
Burnham Westgate 2 384.62x
Glastonbury 2 97.09x
Haverhill 2 117.65x
Holdenhurst 2 23.70x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 2 27.59x
Lancaster 2 18.03x
Redenhall 2 212.77x
Rockland St Mary 2 833.33x
St Giles In Fields London 2 25.97x
Thatcham 2 109.89x
Barnes 1 30.86x
Docking 1 131.58x
Duncton 1 714.29x
Frant 1 53.19x
Kensington London 1 1.15x
Lambeth 1 0.73x
Laughton 1 256.41x
Lilleshall 1 48.31x
Loughton 1 65.36x
Mile End Old Town London 1 2.99x
Milton 1 454.55x
Paddington London 1 1.73x
Reading St Giles 1 8.64x
Reigate Foreign 1 12.06x
Royal Navy 1 6.25x
South Weald 1 37.59x
St George Hanover Square 1 3.61x
Stanway 1 185.19x
Walcot 1 7.43x
Westminster St John 1 5.23x
Westminster St Margaret 1 13.19x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 11
Eliza 10
Sarah 10
Emma 5
Elizabeth 4
Jane 4
Alice 3
Annie 3
Charlotte 3
Ada 2
Ellen 2
Emily 2
Fanny 2
Jessie 2
Lucy 2
Amelia 1
Amy 1
Bridget 1
Caroline 1
Deborah 1
Dora 1
Elizth. 1
Florence 1
Georgina 1
Getrude 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Isilene 1
Kate 1
Louise 1
Maud 1
Mercy 1
Rosannah 1
Rose 1
Rosina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 10
Alfred 6
Edward 6
James 5
William 5
Charles 4
Henry 4
John 4
Joseph 3
Robert 3
Arthur 2
David 2
Harry 2
Thomas 2
Alexander 1
Chas. 1
Edmund 1
Franciss 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
Gordon 1
Hugh 1
Isaac 1
Jemima 1
Jno. 1
Luther 1
Richard 1
Sidney 1
T. 1
Thos 1
W.H.L. 1

FAQ

Diggens surname: questions and answers

How common was the Diggens surname in 1881?

In 1881, 160 people were recorded with the Diggens surname. That placed it at #14,860 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Diggens surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 283 in 2016. That gives Diggens a modern rank of #15,359.

What does the Diggens map show?

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