NameCensus.

UK surname

Diggle

An English surname derived from the Old English word "diccian", meaning to dig or make ditches.

In the 1881 census there were 1,096 people recorded with the Diggle surname, ranking it #3,627 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 917, ranked #6,223, down from #3,627 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Basford, Rochdale and Bury. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Caerphilly, Mid Devon and Bolton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Diggle is 1,442 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 16.3%.

1881 census count

1,096

Ranked #3,627

Modern count

917

2016, ranked #6,223

Peak year

1911

1,442 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Diggle had 1,096 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,627 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 917 in 2016, ranked #6,223.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,442 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Diggle surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Diggle surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Diggle 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 670 #3,877
1861 historical 803 #3,421
1881 historical 1,096 #3,627
1891 historical 1,217 #3,532
1901 historical 1,420 #3,569
1911 historical 1,442 #3,350
1997 modern 905 #5,943
1998 modern 912 #6,099
1999 modern 943 #5,983
2000 modern 928 #6,039
2001 modern 930 #5,918
2002 modern 945 #5,952
2003 modern 922 #5,970
2004 modern 916 #6,001
2005 modern 895 #6,053
2006 modern 891 #6,093
2007 modern 870 #6,259
2008 modern 887 #6,198
2009 modern 884 #6,356
2010 modern 889 #6,452
2011 modern 879 #6,445
2012 modern 889 #6,300
2013 modern 915 #6,267
2014 modern 933 #6,218
2015 modern 930 #6,181
2016 modern 917 #6,223

Geography

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Where Diggles are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Basford, Rochdale, Bury, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and Bolton-le-Moors. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Caerphilly, Mid Devon, Bolton and Fenland. 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 Basford Nottinghamshire
2 Rochdale Lancashire
3 Bury Lancashire
4 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
5 Bolton-le-Moors Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Caerphilly 001 Caerphilly
2 Mid Devon 006 Mid Devon
3 Bolton 017 Bolton
4 Fenland 001 Fenland
5 Bolton 013 Bolton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Diggle

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Diggle

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Diggle, 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 Diggle surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Diggle 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

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Diggle is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Diggle is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Diggle

The surname Diggle is of English origin, believed to have emerged in the medieval period around the 12th century. It is thought to be derived from a place name, specifically a location in the Saddleworth area of Yorkshire, England, known as Diggle. This place name itself is believed to originate from the Old English words "diccian" meaning to dig or ditch, and "hyll" meaning hill, suggesting the name may have referred to a dug-out or ditched hill.

Early recorded instances of the Diggle surname can be found in historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries, such as the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which mentions a Richard de Diggel. The Diggle surname also appears in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, indicating its presence in the region during that time.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Diggle surname was John Diggle, a landowner in Saddleworth, Yorkshire, who lived in the late 15th century. Another notable individual was William Diggle, a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of York, who lived from around 1560 to 1635.

The Diggle surname has also been associated with various place names over the centuries, such as Digglesworth in Yorkshire, which was likely derived from a combination of the surname and the Old English word "worth" meaning an enclosure or farm.

Among the notable figures with the Diggle surname throughout history are Reverend John Diggle (1720-1798), an English clergyman and author of theological works; Joseph Diggle (1800-1880), a British industrialist and cotton manufacturer; and Sir Kenelm Digby (1603-1665), an English courtier, diplomat, and respected philosopher.

Another prominent bearer of the Diggle name was Everard Digby (1578-1606), who was involved in the infamous Gunpowder Plot to assassinate King James I of England and blow up the Houses of Parliament. Digby was executed for his role in the failed conspiracy.

Other individuals of note include John Diggle (1892-1964), an English cricketer who played for Lancashire County Cricket Club, and Sir Everard Digby (1917-1996), a British diplomat and author who served as Ambassador to several countries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Diggle families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Diggle 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. Lancashire leads with 856 Diggles recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.75x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 856 6.75x
Nottinghamshire 62 4.31x
Yorkshire 44 0.42x
Leicestershire 28 2.36x
Lincolnshire 28 1.64x
Norfolk 19 1.16x
Cheshire 11 0.47x
Durham 11 0.35x
Middlesex 11 0.10x
Cumberland 10 1.09x
Cambridgeshire 4 0.59x
Devon 2 0.09x
Hertfordshire 2 0.27x
Staffordshire 2 0.06x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.15x
Essex 1 0.05x
Hampshire 1 0.05x
Somerset 1 0.06x
Sussex 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Heap in Lancashire leads with 143 Diggles recorded in 1881 and an index of 212.73x.

Place Total Index
Heap 143 212.73x
Bury 89 61.47x
Little Bolton 49 30.07x
Basford 41 61.78x
Birtle Cum Bamford 38 459.49x
Castleton 37 29.23x
Oldham 30 7.33x
Radcliffe 29 47.46x
Hopwood 27 162.95x
Tottington Lower End 20 33.21x
Manchester 19 3.33x
Spotland 19 13.48x
Darcy Lever 18 246.58x
Elton 18 41.11x
Ashton Under Lyne 17 6.14x
Moulton 16 194.65x
Haslingden 15 28.58x
Pilkington 15 31.15x
Wuerdle Wardle 15 38.98x
Rochdale 14 151.52x
Denton 13 46.28x
Emneth 13 355.19x
Belgrave 12 44.89x
Layton With Warbreck 12 25.80x
Pendleton In Salford 12 7.95x
Salford 12 3.22x
Loughborough 11 20.47x
Padiham 11 35.92x
Wardleworth 11 15.19x
Pilsworth 10 358.42x
Stansfield 10 25.67x
Accrington 9 7.81x
Blackburn 9 2.67x
Great Bolton 9 5.36x
Armley 8 17.14x
Failsworth 8 27.59x
Garston 8 21.38x
Ossett Cum Gawthorpe 8 21.16x
Whitwood 8 53.23x
Chadderton 7 11.30x
Heaton Norris 7 9.70x
Kirkdale 7 3.28x
Monk Hesleden 7 79.01x
St Mary Within 7 60.92x
Upholland 7 43.10x
Blackley 6 27.00x
Bredbury 6 43.96x
Broughton In Salford 6 5.18x
Habergham Eaves 6 5.18x
Radford 6 8.20x
Sutton St James 6 291.26x
Tottington Higher End 6 41.58x
West Walton 6 191.08x
Bulwell 5 15.97x
Farnworth 5 6.58x
Gorton 5 4.20x
Hornsey 5 3.70x
Leicester St Margaret 5 1.73x
Reddish 5 28.64x
Snenton 5 8.84x
Cliviger 4 56.02x
Elm 4 60.33x
Lytham 4 20.67x
North Meols 4 3.22x
Rishton 4 26.90x
Saddleworth 4 4.90x
Weston 4 129.45x
Cheetham 3 3.17x
Cowpe Lench Newhall Hey 3 22.16x
Hulme 3 1.13x
Lamesley 3 17.54x
Monks Coppenhall 3 3.37x
Nottingham St Mary 3 0.81x
Rockcliff 3 104.90x
Royton 3 7.74x
Butterworth 2 6.48x
Everton 2 0.50x
Newchurch 2 1.93x
Stretford 2 2.87x
Wolverhampton 2 0.72x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 73
John 68
William 52
Joseph 33
Robert 27
George 24
Thomas 24
Charles 22
Henry 16
Samuel 16
Edward 14
Richard 11
Daniel 10
Herbert 10
Alfred 9
Albert 7
Johnson 6
Walter 6
David 5
Edmund 5
Ellis 4
Ernest 4
Fred 4
Dennis 3
Roger 3
Wm. 3
Abraham 2
Arthur 2
Geo. 2
Granville 2
Jas. 2
Jeremiah 2
Jno. 2
Johnathan 2
Matthew 2
Peter 2
Saml. 2
Walker 2
Charlie 1
Chas. 1
Dan 1
Elijah 1
Emmanuel 1
Frederic 1
Fredk. 1
Isiah 1
Jane 1
Jas.A. 1
Jeffrey 1
Jno.Jas. 1

FAQ

Diggle surname: questions and answers

How common was the Diggle surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,096 people were recorded with the Diggle surname. That placed it at #3,627 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Diggle surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 917 in 2016. That gives Diggle a modern rank of #6,223.

What does the Diggle surname mean?

An English surname derived from the Old English word "diccian", meaning to dig or make ditches.

What does the Diggle map show?

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