NameCensus.

UK surname

Heggie

A Scottish surname derived from the word "hedge," likely denoting someone who lived near a hedge.

In the 1881 census there were 828 people recorded with the Heggie surname, ranking it #4,543 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,300, ranked #4,607, down from #4,543 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Cupar, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Carlisle, Douglas West and Caerphilly.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Heggie is 1,366 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 57.0%.

1881 census count

828

Ranked #4,543

Modern count

1,300

2016, ranked #4,607

Peak year

2010

1,366 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Heggie had 828 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,543 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,300 in 2016, ranked #4,607.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,031 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Heggie surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Heggie surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Heggie 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 442 #5,570
1861 historical 452 #5,730
1881 historical 828 #4,543
1891 historical 972 #4,257
1901 historical 1,031 #4,634
1911 historical 186 #15,643
1997 modern 1,215 #4,663
1998 modern 1,255 #4,700
1999 modern 1,278 #4,666
2000 modern 1,262 #4,706
2001 modern 1,228 #4,710
2002 modern 1,281 #4,636
2003 modern 1,269 #4,576
2004 modern 1,277 #4,557
2005 modern 1,287 #4,471
2006 modern 1,294 #4,462
2007 modern 1,307 #4,463
2008 modern 1,318 #4,463
2009 modern 1,356 #4,441
2010 modern 1,366 #4,500
2011 modern 1,341 #4,518
2012 modern 1,285 #4,621
2013 modern 1,283 #4,712
2014 modern 1,301 #4,675
2015 modern 1,295 #4,650
2016 modern 1,300 #4,607

Geography

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Where Heggies are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Cupar, Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Carlisle, Douglas West, Caerphilly, Seaboard and Cardenden. 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 Cupar Fife
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Carlisle 011 Carlisle
2 Douglas West Dundee City
3 Caerphilly 002 Caerphilly
4 Seaboard Highland
5 Cardenden Fife

Forenames

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First names often paired with Heggie

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Heggie

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Heggie surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Heggie household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Heggie 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

Heggie is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Heggie 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 Heggie is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Heggie

The surname Heggie has its origins in Scotland, with the earliest records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the Scottish place name Hedges, which itself comes from the Old English word "hege," meaning "hedge" or "enclosure."

The name Heggie is thought to have evolved from the older spelling Hedges, which was likely used to refer to someone who lived near or worked with hedges. In Scotland, many surnames were derived from occupations or physical features of the land, and Heggie would have been no exception.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Heggie can be found in the Scottish Parish Registers, where a Robert Heggie was listed as a resident of Fife in the year 1587. Another early mention comes from the Burgh Records of Stirling, which document a John Heggie living in the town in the late 16th century.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Heggie surname began to spread throughout other parts of Scotland, with notable examples including William Heggie (1670-1732), a merchant and landowner in Aberdeenshire, and Margaret Heggie (1735-1810), a midwife from the village of Crail in Fife.

As the name continued to gain recognition, several notable individuals bearing the surname Heggie emerged in various fields. One such figure was James Heggie (1813-1885), a Scottish inventor and engineer who patented several improvements to agricultural machinery. Another was Robert Heggie (1856-1932), a prominent Scottish artist known for his landscape paintings of the Scottish Highlands.

Other notable Heggies throughout history include:

1. Sir James Heggie (1871-1944), a Scottish businessman and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Glasgow. 2. John Heggie (1887-1972), a Scottish footballer who played for several clubs, including Rangers and Falkirk. 3. Sir John Heggie (1895-1981), a British Army officer who served in both World Wars and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order. 4. Kathleen Heggie (1922-2002), a Canadian writer and journalist who published several novels and non-fiction works. 5. David Heggie (born 1957), a Scottish composer and librettist best known for his operas and vocal compositions.

While the surname Heggie may not be as common as some others, its rich history and connections to Scotland's past make it a unique and intriguing name that has left its mark on various aspects of Scottish and British culture over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Heggie families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Heggie 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. Fife leads with 266 Heggies recorded in 1881 and an index of 55.70x.

County Total Index
Fife 266 55.70x
Angus 128 17.13x
Lanarkshire 97 3.72x
Perthshire 67 18.50x
Midlothian 60 5.55x
West Lothian 40 32.92x
Stirlingshire 36 12.10x
Kinross-shire 22 107.90x
Lancashire 21 0.22x
Herefordshire 11 3.33x
Roxburghshire 11 7.53x
Dunbartonshire 10 4.61x
Northumberland 9 0.75x
Renfrewshire 8 1.28x
Yorkshire 8 0.10x
Ayrshire 6 0.99x
Berwickshire 5 5.12x
Suffolk 4 0.41x
Surrey 4 0.10x
Dorset 3 0.57x
Durham 2 0.08x
East Lothian 2 1.87x
Berkshire 1 0.17x
Cheshire 1 0.06x
Cumberland 1 0.14x
Devon 1 0.06x
Kent 1 0.04x
Middlesex 1 0.01x
Peeblesshire 1 2.64x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dundee in Angus leads with 68 Heggies recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.37x.

Place Total Index
Dundee 68 24.37x
Dunfermline 66 89.88x
Barony 40 6.06x
Cupar 39 187.77x
Govan 28 4.34x
Strathmiglo 23 402.80x
Glasgow 20 4.32x
Abbotshall 19 106.50x
Kirkcaldy 19 80.24x
Stirling 17 45.32x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 15 3.45x
Livingstone 15 362.32x
Abdie 14 514.71x
Monifieth 13 49.24x
Portmoak 13 448.28x
South Leith 13 10.69x
Monimail 12 512.82x
Coupar Angus 11 155.59x
Perth East Church 11 32.22x
Hereford All Sts 10 66.01x
Liff Benvie 10 8.81x
Scone 10 155.52x
Uphall 10 74.85x
Ceres 9 156.79x
Orwell 9 160.14x
St Ninians 9 30.52x
Wilton 9 56.14x
Falkirk 8 11.49x
Liberton 8 47.96x
St Vigeans 8 19.83x
Boness 7 41.79x
Carnock 7 239.73x
Dysart 7 21.77x
Edinburgh St Andrews 7 78.48x
Inverkeillor 7 151.19x
Markinch 7 43.18x
Barry 6 66.89x
Bathgate 6 22.75x
Byker 6 10.11x
Dron 6 645.16x
Dunbarney 6 287.08x
Horton In Bradford 6 4.81x
Kilwinning 6 30.77x
Roseneath 6 144.23x
West Greenock 6 5.35x
Carnbee 5 171.23x
Leuchars 5 82.78x
Ratho 5 99.21x
Rhynd 5 609.76x
Warrington 5 4.41x
Balmerino 4 218.58x
Beccles 4 25.30x
Blairgowrie 4 27.93x
Cambusnethan 4 6.90x
Dunse 4 43.20x
Forgan 4 43.72x
Glencorse 4 96.39x
Kilconquhar 4 70.42x
Logierait 4 62.79x
Auchtermuchty 3 46.80x
Barrow In Furness 3 2.30x
Chorlton On Medlock 3 1.97x
Falkland 3 39.95x
Forgandenny 3 173.41x
Kingston On Thames 3 3.18x
New Kilpatrick 3 14.55x
North Leith 3 6.00x
Pendleton In Salford 3 2.63x
Redgorton 3 74.63x
Thornton In Fylde 3 14.33x
Toxteth Park 3 0.93x
Edinburgh Canongate 2 7.27x
Errol 2 29.81x
Haddington 2 12.68x
Kinghorn 2 19.72x
Larbert 2 11.24x
Leslie 2 16.54x
Longforgan 2 39.06x
Perth Middle Church 2 14.68x
Westoe 2 1.47x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Margaret 5
Mary 5
Isabella 3
Alice 2
Jane 2
Jessie 2
Lilly 2
Agnes 1
Catherine 1
Eliz. 1
Emily 1
Florence 1
Helen 1
Hellen 1
Levinia 1
Marian 1
Marianne 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 6
Robert 6
Andrew 4
John 4
William 3
Charles 2
George 2
Thomas 2
Alexander 1
Andw.M. 1
David 1
Donald 1
Duncan 1
Norman 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Heggie surname: questions and answers

How common was the Heggie surname in 1881?

In 1881, 828 people were recorded with the Heggie surname. That placed it at #4,543 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Heggie surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,300 in 2016. That gives Heggie a modern rank of #4,607.

What does the Heggie surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the word "hedge," likely denoting someone who lived near a hedge.

What does the Heggie map show?

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