NameCensus.

UK surname

Higbee

An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "high hill" or "high dwelling."

In the 1881 census there were 33 people recorded with the Higbee surname, ranking it #28,965 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 118, ranked #27,873, up from #28,965 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Havering, Copeland and East Riding of Yorkshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Higbee is 127 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 257.6%.

1881 census count

33

Ranked #28,965

Modern count

118

2016, ranked #27,873

Peak year

1998

127 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Higbee had 33 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #28,965 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 118 in 2016, ranked #27,873.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 48 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Higbee surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Higbee surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Higbee 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 14 #30,790
1861 historical 19 #31,470
1881 historical 33 #28,965
1891 historical 22 #32,449
1901 historical 48 #28,808
1911 historical 48 #28,006
1997 modern 113 #25,106
1998 modern 127 #23,940
1999 modern 127 #24,125
2000 modern 120 #24,950
2001 modern 119 #24,733
2002 modern 126 #24,393
2003 modern 121 #24,776
2004 modern 118 #25,317
2005 modern 119 #25,193
2006 modern 116 #25,813
2007 modern 113 #26,641
2008 modern 116 #26,510
2009 modern 118 #26,766
2010 modern 119 #27,250
2011 modern 114 #27,784
2012 modern 113 #28,016
2013 modern 118 #27,686
2014 modern 115 #28,439
2015 modern 117 #27,982
2016 modern 118 #27,873

Geography

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Where Higbees are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Havering, Copeland, East Riding of Yorkshire and Colchester. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Havering 001 Havering
2 Copeland 001 Copeland
3 East Riding of Yorkshire 035 East Riding of Yorkshire
4 Havering 002 Havering
5 Colchester 007 Colchester

Forenames

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First names often paired with Higbee

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Higbee

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

Ageing Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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, Higbee 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

Higbee is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Higbee

The surname Higbee is believed to have originated in England, possibly deriving from the Old English words "heg" or "hegge," meaning "hedge," and "by," meaning "village" or "farmstead." This suggests that the name may have referred to someone who lived near a hedge or in a hedged village or farm.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Higberie." This entry refers to a location in the county of Buckinghamshire, which may have been the place of origin for some bearers of the surname.

During the medieval period, the name was also spelled in various ways, such as "Higby," "Higbie," and "Higbey." These variations were likely due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in spelling and record-keeping at the time.

Notable individuals with the surname Higbee include:

1. William Higbee (1810-1884), an early convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. 2. Elias Higbee (1795-1843), a Mormon pioneer and one of the first settlers in Nauvoo, Illinois. 3. John Somers Higbee (1804-1876), a prominent Mormon leader and businessman in Nauvoo. 4. Edwin Higbee (1832-1919), an American politician who served as a member of the Utah Territorial Legislature. 5. Arthur Higbee (1888-1958), an American baseball player who played for the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees.

The surname Higbee has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Higbee Hill in Hertfordshire and Higbee Farm in Warwickshire, further reinforcing its connection to the concept of a hedged or enclosed area.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Higbee families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Higbee 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 20 Higbees recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.22x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 20 6.22x
Essex 8 12.60x
Surrey 5 3.19x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Shoreditch London in Middlesex leads with 10 Higbees recorded in 1881 and an index of 71.74x.

Place Total Index
Shoreditch London 10 71.74x
Colchester St Peter 6 2400.00x
Hackney London 6 33.28x
Islington London 3 9.62x
Richmond 3 136.36x
Halstead 2 270.27x
Lambeth 2 7.13x
Paddington London 1 8.45x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Caroline 2
Elizabeth 2
Agnes 1
Amelia 1
Anne 1
Catherine 1
Ellia 1
Emma 1
Florence 1
Jane 1
Louisa 1
Lousia 1
Mary 1
Minnie 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Robert 4
Edgar 2
Henry 2
James 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
George 1
Halgon 1
Hurbert 1
William 1

FAQ

Higbee surname: questions and answers

How common was the Higbee surname in 1881?

In 1881, 33 people were recorded with the Higbee surname. That placed it at #28,965 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Higbee surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 118 in 2016. That gives Higbee a modern rank of #27,873.

What does the Higbee surname mean?

An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "high hill" or "high dwelling."

What does the Higbee map show?

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