NameCensus.

UK surname

Hagger

A surname potentially derived from the Middle English word "hagger," meaning a scraggy or uncouth person.

In the 1881 census there were 886 people recorded with the Hagger surname, ranking it #4,287 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,323, ranked #4,538, down from #4,287 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Chesterford, Great, London parishes and St John Hackney. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Havering, Kingston upon Hull and North Hertfordshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hagger is 1,546 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 49.3%.

1881 census count

886

Ranked #4,287

Modern count

1,323

2016, ranked #4,538

Peak year

1998

1,546 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hagger had 886 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,287 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,323 in 2016, ranked #4,538.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,471 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Hagger surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hagger surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hagger 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 621 #4,162
1861 historical 644 #4,167
1881 historical 886 #4,287
1891 historical 1,096 #3,856
1901 historical 1,262 #3,922
1911 historical 1,471 #3,277
1997 modern 1,501 #3,906
1998 modern 1,546 #3,946
1999 modern 1,539 #3,992
2000 modern 1,536 #3,983
2001 modern 1,483 #4,019
2002 modern 1,510 #4,048
2003 modern 1,457 #4,091
2004 modern 1,455 #4,101
2005 modern 1,428 #4,133
2006 modern 1,385 #4,230
2007 modern 1,387 #4,256
2008 modern 1,381 #4,300
2009 modern 1,391 #4,356
2010 modern 1,411 #4,375
2011 modern 1,400 #4,360
2012 modern 1,360 #4,403
2013 modern 1,374 #4,438
2014 modern 1,373 #4,463
2015 modern 1,344 #4,504
2016 modern 1,323 #4,538

Geography

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Where Haggers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Chesterford, Great, London parishes, St John Hackney, Chelmsford, Broomfield, Writtle, Widford, Chignal St James, Chignal Smealy and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Havering, Kingston upon Hull, North Hertfordshire and Epping Forest. 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 Chesterford, Great Essex
2 London parishes London 3
3 St John Hackney London (North Districts)
4 Chelmsford, Broomfield, Writtle, Widford, Chignal St James, Chignal Smealy Essex
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Havering 015 Havering
2 Kingston upon Hull 010 Kingston upon Hull, City of
3 North Hertfordshire 002 North Hertfordshire
4 Epping Forest 014 Epping Forest
5 North Hertfordshire 001 North Hertfordshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hagger

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hagger

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Hagger is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hagger 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

Hagger falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Hagger is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Hagger, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Hagger

The surname Hagger is of Anglo-Saxon origin, originating in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "hæccere," which means "one who hacks or cuts down trees." This occupation-based surname was likely given to someone who worked as a woodcutter or forester.

The earliest recorded instance of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from the year 1185, where a person named William Hagger is mentioned. Another early reference is in the Assize Court Rolls of Yorkshire from 1219, which includes a record of a Richard Hagger.

During the 13th century, the surname appeared in various spellings, such as Haghere, Haghir, and Haggher, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling common in medieval times. Some of these variations may have been influenced by local dialects or place names where the name was prevalent.

One notable person with the surname Hagger was John Hagger, a 16th-century English historian and clergyman who served as a vicar in Gloucestershire. He was born around 1525 and authored several works, including a chronicle of the reign of King Henry VIII.

In the 17th century, a merchant named Thomas Hagger is recorded as being involved in the Virginia Company, which established the first permanent English settlement in North America at Jamestown. He was born in London around 1590 and played a role in the early colonization efforts of Virginia.

Another person of note is William Hagger, an 18th-century English architect and surveyor from Yorkshire. He was born in 1722 and contributed to the design and construction of several notable buildings in the region, including churches and country houses.

During the 19th century, a John Hagger, born in 1812 in Gloucestershire, gained recognition as a prominent agriculturalist and writer on farming practices. His works helped shape modern agricultural methods and influenced the development of the farming industry in England.

Additionally, a man named George Hagger, born in 1835 in Oxfordshire, served as a British Army officer and fought in several campaigns during the Victorian era, including the Crimean War and the Indian Rebellion of 1857.

These examples illustrate the diverse backgrounds and contributions of individuals bearing the surname Hagger throughout history, spanning various occupations and regions within England and beyond.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hagger families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hagger 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 212 Haggers recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.46x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 212 2.46x
Essex 140 8.22x
Hertfordshire 119 20.00x
Cambridgeshire 103 18.84x
Surrey 76 1.81x
Suffolk 63 5.99x
Kent 38 1.29x
Hampshire 19 1.07x
Huntingdonshire 15 8.75x
Yorkshire 14 0.16x
Lancashire 13 0.13x
Leicestershire 12 1.25x
Norfolk 10 0.75x
Northamptonshire 9 1.11x
Warwickshire 8 0.37x
Devon 5 0.28x
Sussex 5 0.34x
Derbyshire 4 0.30x
Lincolnshire 4 0.29x
Gloucestershire 3 0.18x
Somerset 3 0.22x
Berkshire 2 0.31x
Cumberland 2 0.27x
Bedfordshire 1 0.22x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.19x
Cardiganshire 1 0.47x
Herefordshire 1 0.28x
Oxfordshire 1 0.19x
Royal Navy 1 0.97x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Therfield in Hertfordshire leads with 59 Haggers recorded in 1881 and an index of 1695.40x.

Place Total Index
Therfield 59 1695.40x
Broomfield 35 1305.97x
Lambeth 30 3.99x
Islington London 28 3.35x
Hackney London 27 5.58x
Great Chesterford 20 740.74x
Tottenham 16 11.64x
Bassingbourn 12 149.44x
Great Thurlow 12 1043.48x
West Ham 12 3.19x
Bromley London 11 5.79x
Great Shelford 10 348.43x
Mile End Old Town London 10 5.44x
St George In East London 10 12.32x
St Martin In Fields 10 19.35x
Barkway 9 384.62x
Bourn 9 375.00x
Chelmsford 9 30.78x
Leyton 9 30.66x
Royston 9 177.51x
Saffron Walden 9 49.97x
Aston 8 1.33x
Camberwell 8 1.45x
Deptford St Paul 8 3.52x
Melbourn 8 150.09x
Misterton 8 555.56x
Orwell 8 337.55x
St Andrewthe Less 8 12.81x
St Luke London 8 5.78x
St Marylebone London 8 1.74x
St Pancras London 8 1.15x
Woodford 8 41.47x
Baldock 7 125.22x
Beckenham 7 18.18x
Chipping Barnet 7 67.24x
Ipswich St Margaret 7 19.62x
Kensington London 7 1.46x
Little Chishall 7 1842.11x
Mendlesham 7 210.21x
Mitcham 7 26.33x
Newington 7 2.20x
Paddington London 7 2.21x
Springfield 7 93.71x
Westminster St John 7 6.66x
Yaxley 7 174.56x
Battersea 6 1.89x
Duxford 6 262.01x
Great Eversden 6 759.49x
Harkstead 6 540.54x
Hornsey 6 5.50x
Lewisham 6 3.82x
Millbrook 6 13.46x
Somersham 6 495.87x
Stoke Newington London 6 8.92x
Tichmarsh 6 219.78x
Woodbridge 6 44.64x
Buckland 5 471.70x
Farnborough 5 26.91x
Ipswich St Peter 5 35.34x
Ratcliffe London 5 10.49x
Rushmere 5 218.34x
Shoreditch London 5 1.34x
Southoe 5 625.00x
St Albans 5 41.02x
Tilney Cum Islington 5 581.40x
Westminster St James 5 5.63x
Wimpole 5 476.19x
Wix 5 271.74x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 4 5.02x
Batley 4 4.92x
Burnley 4 4.64x
Clerkenwell London 4 1.96x
Croydon Cum Clapton 4 283.69x
Doncaster 4 6.40x
Fulbourn 4 76.48x
Hinxton 4 396.04x
Portsea 4 1.15x
Repton 4 78.28x
Rotherhithe 4 3.75x
Wandsworth 3 3.61x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 60
James 40
John 36
George 26
Thomas 26
Alfred 19
Henry 19
Edward 17
Joseph 17
Frederick 16
Arthur 14
Charles 14
Robert 13
Walter 13
Albert 8
Stephen 8
Harry 6
Herbert 6
Samuel 5
Ernest 4
Richard 4
Peter 3
Philip 3
Saunders 3
Sydney 3
Andrew 2
Benjamin 2
Edgar 2
Edmund 2
Frank 2
Fredk. 2
Sidney 2
Alexander 1
Amos 1
Austin 1
Barnett 1
Bertie 1
Daniel 1
Donald 1
Edmond 1
Edwd. 1
Edwin 1
Elijah 1
Esau 1
Hagger 1
Harold 1
Josiah 1
Lavender 1
Lawrence 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Hagger surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hagger surname in 1881?

In 1881, 886 people were recorded with the Hagger surname. That placed it at #4,287 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hagger surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,323 in 2016. That gives Hagger a modern rank of #4,538.

What does the Hagger surname mean?

A surname potentially derived from the Middle English word "hagger," meaning a scraggy or uncouth person.

What does the Hagger map show?

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