NameCensus.

UK surname

Higdon

Derived from a place name meaning "hill of the hawk" in Old English, originating in Somerset, England.

In the 1881 census there were 142 people recorded with the Higdon surname, ranking it #16,012 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 149, ranked #23,844, down from #16,012 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Leonard Shoreditch, Pennard, East and Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Mendip, Denbighshire and North Devon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Higdon is 181 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 4.9%.

1881 census count

142

Ranked #16,012

Modern count

149

2016, ranked #23,844

Peak year

1911

181 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Higdon had 142 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,012 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 149 in 2016, ranked #23,844.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 181 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Higdon surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Higdon surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Higdon 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 147 #13,084
1861 historical 161 #14,392
1881 historical 142 #16,012
1891 historical 169 #16,885
1901 historical 159 #17,442
1911 historical 181 #15,911
1997 modern 161 #20,176
1998 modern 168 #20,181
1999 modern 167 #20,374
2000 modern 163 #20,657
2001 modern 158 #20,788
2002 modern 155 #21,431
2003 modern 152 #21,486
2004 modern 158 #21,077
2005 modern 157 #21,128
2006 modern 154 #21,576
2007 modern 144 #22,804
2008 modern 141 #23,383
2009 modern 142 #23,791
2010 modern 149 #23,598
2011 modern 150 #23,309
2012 modern 137 #24,731
2013 modern 146 #24,107
2014 modern 155 #23,333
2015 modern 151 #23,613
2016 modern 149 #23,844

Geography

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Where Higdons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Leonard Shoreditch, Pennard, East, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Ditcheat, West Bradley and St Albans or The Abbey. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Mendip, Denbighshire, North Devon, South Somerset and Wiltshire. 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 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
2 Pennard, East Somerset
3 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
4 Ditcheat, West Bradley Somerset
5 St Albans or The Abbey Hertfordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Mendip 014 Mendip
2 Denbighshire 004 Denbighshire
3 North Devon 006 North Devon
4 South Somerset 014 South Somerset
5 Wiltshire 020 Wiltshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Higdon

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Higdon

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

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Higdon is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Higdon 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

Higdon falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Higdon 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 Higdon, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Higdon

The surname HIGDON has its origins in England, with records dating back to the late 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "hege" meaning hedge and "dun" meaning hill, potentially referring to a person who lived near a hedged hill or enclosure.

One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire, dated 1199, where a Thomas de Higgdun is mentioned. This suggests that the name was present in the Staffordshire region during that time period.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms such as Higdun, Huggedun, and Hygdone, reflecting the inconsistencies in spelling during that era. A notable bearer of the name was Robert de Higdun, a chronicler and monk at the Abbey of St. Werburgh in Chester, who lived from around 1280 to 1347.

The Hundred Rolls of 1273 record a Richard de Huggeden in Oxfordshire, while the Subsidy Rolls of 1327 mention a Roger de Huggedon in Cambridgeshire. These instances indicate the name's presence in various parts of England during the medieval period.

In the 16th century, the name evolved to its more modern spelling of Higdon. One notable individual from this time was William Higdon, a prominent merchant and landowner in Somerset, who lived from around 1520 to 1585.

The Hearth Tax Rolls of the late 17th century list several Higdon families in counties like Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, suggesting the name's continued presence in the southwest of England.

Prominent bearers of the HIGDON surname include John Higdon (1650-1722), a successful merchant and member of the East India Company, and Thomas Higdon (1770-1845), a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings in London.

Other notable individuals with the HIGDON surname include William Higdon (1805-1879), a pioneer settler in Illinois, and Mary Higdon (1891-1972), a renowned educator and civil rights activist in Tennessee.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Higdon families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Higdon 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. Somerset leads with 61 Higdons recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.36x.

County Total Index
Somerset 61 27.36x
Middlesex 21 1.52x
Essex 14 5.12x
Lincolnshire 10 4.52x
Hertfordshire 8 8.38x
Nottinghamshire 8 4.29x
Derbyshire 5 2.31x
Surrey 4 0.59x
Gloucestershire 3 1.10x
Lancashire 3 0.18x
Bedfordshire 1 1.39x
Devon 1 0.35x
Kent 1 0.21x
Wiltshire 1 0.82x
Yorkshire 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Yeovil in Somerset leads with 16 Higdons recorded in 1881 and an index of 353.20x.

Place Total Index
Yeovil 16 353.20x
East Pennard 13 4482.76x
West Bradley Lottisham 10 14285.71x
Chigwell 7 271.32x
West Ham 7 11.60x
Greasley 6 142.52x
Shoreditch London 6 9.99x
St Albans 6 306.12x
St Sepulchre London 6 295.57x
Marston Magna 5 3571.43x
West Bradley 5 8333.33x
Holbeach 4 161.94x
Tansley 4 1250.00x
Kirton 3 337.08x
Toxteth Park 3 5.39x
Walton 3 1200.00x
West Pennard 3 833.33x
Camberwell 2 2.26x
Dymock 2 307.69x
Gedney 2 222.22x
Hampstead London 2 9.27x
Islington London 2 1.49x
Keinton Mandeville 2 800.00x
Nuthall 2 285.71x
St Albans St Michael 2 186.92x
Tottenham 2 9.07x
Westminster St John 2 11.86x
Bradford 1 3.01x
Bruton 1 113.64x
Croydon 1 2.67x
Frithville 1 2000.00x
Lidford 1 77.52x
Luton 1 8.06x
Margate St John Baptist 1 11.56x
Oaksey 1 500.00x
Shepton Mallet 1 40.00x
Southwark Christchurch 1 15.41x
Stapleton 1 19.42x
Stoke Newington London 1 9.27x
Tibshelf 1 94.34x
West Chinnock 1 500.00x
West Lydford 1 769.23x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 7
Ann 6
Alice 3
Elizabeth 3
Emily 3
Lucy 3
Sarah 3
Annie 2
Charlotte 2
Eliza 2
Flora 2
Florence 2
Frances 2
Margaret 2
Susan 2
Amy 1
Anna 1
Beatrice 1
Bertha 1
Blanche 1
Caroline 1
Edith 1
Elizth. 1
Elizth.A. 1
Ellen 1
Emeline 1
Harriet 1
Julia 1
Louisa 1
Lydia 1
Martha 1
May 1
Melita 1
Minnie 1
Prisalla 1
Rhoda 1
Rosa 1
Sophia 1
Susanna 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 13
George 8
Thomas 8
John 6
Albert 4
Frank 4
Richard 4
Robert 4
Charles 3
Henry 2
Alexander 1
Alfred 1
Bertie 1
Deniss 1
Eber 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Elias 1
Francis 1
Herbert 1
James 1
Joseph 1
Josh. 1
Louis 1
Pantaenus 1
Sidney 1
Thos. 1
Valentine 1

FAQ

Higdon surname: questions and answers

How common was the Higdon surname in 1881?

In 1881, 142 people were recorded with the Higdon surname. That placed it at #16,012 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Higdon surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 149 in 2016. That gives Higdon a modern rank of #23,844.

What does the Higdon surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "hill of the hawk" in Old English, originating in Somerset, England.

What does the Higdon map show?

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