NameCensus.

UK surname

Digger

In the 1881 census there were 40 people recorded with the Digger surname, ranking it #28,011 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 86, ranked #32,570, down from #28,011 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Worcester Claines, Worcester St John Bedwardine, Kenswick and Worcester St Andrew, Block House. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Worcester and Dudley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Digger is 120 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 115.0%.

1881 census count

40

Ranked #28,011

Modern count

86

2016, ranked #32,570

Peak year

2002

120 bearers

Map years

3

1901 to 1998

Key insights

  • Digger had 40 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #28,011 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 86 in 2016, ranked #32,570.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 108 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Digger surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Digger surname density by area, 1998 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Digger 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 25 #28,853
1861 historical 28 #30,405
1881 historical 40 #28,011
1891 historical 81 #26,632
1901 historical 108 #21,836
1911 historical 108 #21,736
1997 modern 106 #26,057
1998 modern 119 #24,918
1999 modern 116 #25,487
2000 modern 110 #26,248
2001 modern 110 #25,900
2002 modern 120 #25,110
2003 modern 106 #26,775
2004 modern 100 #27,964
2005 modern 95 #28,817
2006 modern 98 #28,621
2007 modern 102 #28,351
2008 modern 95 #29,822
2009 modern 91 #30,944
2010 modern 100 #30,225
2011 modern 97 #30,552
2012 modern 83 #32,611
2013 modern 86 #32,557
2014 modern 89 #32,409
2015 modern 92 #32,075
2016 modern 86 #32,570

Geography

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Where Diggers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Worcester Claines, Worcester St John Bedwardine, Kenswick, Worcester St Andrew, Block House, Worcester St Peter and Merton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Worcester and Dudley. 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 Worcester Claines Worcestershire
2 Worcester St John Bedwardine, Kenswick Worcestershire
3 Worcester St Andrew, Block House Worcestershire
4 Worcester St Peter Worcestershire
5 Merton Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Worcester 012 Worcester
2 Worcester 010 Worcester
3 Worcester 009 Worcester
4 Worcester 003 Worcester
5 Dudley 029 Dudley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Digger

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Digger

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Digger is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Digger is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

1881 census detail

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Digger families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Digger 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. Worcestershire leads with 39 Diggers recorded in 1881 and an index of 74.67x.

County Total Index
Worcestershire 39 74.67x
Middlesex 2 0.50x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Claines in Worcestershire leads with 10 Diggers recorded in 1881 and an index of 699.30x.

Place Total Index
Claines 10 699.30x
Worcester All Sts 8 2666.67x
Worcester Blockhouse 8 2758.62x
Worcester St Martin 8 1142.86x
Worcester St Swithin 5 5000.00x
Islington London 2 5.16x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Agnes 2
Annie 2
Mary 2
Alice 1
Ann 1
Anne 1
Eliza 1
Elizabeth 1
Emma 1
Flory 1
Louisa 1
Maria 1
Mariah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Henry 4
William 4
John 3
Charles 2
Herbert 2
James 2
Thomas 2
Bertram 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
Jos.H. 1
Walter 1

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 Digger households.

FAQ

Digger surname: questions and answers

How common was the Digger surname in 1881?

In 1881, 40 people were recorded with the Digger surname. That placed it at #28,011 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Digger surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 86 in 2016. That gives Digger a modern rank of #32,570.

What does the Digger map show?

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