NameCensus.

UK surname

Higgens

An occupational surname derived from the Middle English word "heghene," meaning "shoemaker."

In the 1881 census there were 228 people recorded with the Higgens surname, ranking it #11,826 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 115, ranked #28,348, down from #11,826 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Sunderland, London parishes and Hambledon. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bury, Purbeck and Lancaster.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Higgens is 404 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 49.6%.

1881 census count

228

Ranked #11,826

Modern count

115

2016, ranked #28,348

Peak year

1861

404 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Higgens had 228 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,826 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 115 in 2016, ranked #28,348.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 404 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Higgens surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Higgens surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Higgens 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 297 #7,707
1861 historical 404 #6,354
1881 historical 228 #11,826
1891 historical 354 #9,741
1901 historical 250 #13,136
1911 historical 244 #13,127
1997 modern 137 #22,301
1998 modern 152 #21,481
1999 modern 143 #22,521
2000 modern 152 #21,603
2001 modern 144 #22,040
2002 modern 154 #21,531
2003 modern 139 #22,734
2004 modern 137 #23,098
2005 modern 138 #22,999
2006 modern 145 #22,420
2007 modern 145 #22,693
2008 modern 138 #23,763
2009 modern 135 #24,594
2010 modern 133 #25,379
2011 modern 127 #25,926
2012 modern 121 #26,829
2013 modern 117 #27,838
2014 modern 121 #27,503
2015 modern 118 #27,833
2016 modern 115 #28,348

Geography

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Where Higgens' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Sunderland, London parishes, Hambledon, Glasgow and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bury, Purbeck, Lancaster and Dover. 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 Sunderland Durham
2 London parishes London 3
3 Hambledon Hampshire
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bury 016 Bury
2 Bury 015 Bury
3 Purbeck 005 Purbeck
4 Lancaster 001 Lancaster
5 Dover 012 Dover

Forenames

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First names often paired with Higgens

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Higgens

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Higgens is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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 neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Higgens 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

Higgens falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Higgens

The surname Higgens is of English origin, deriving from the medieval given name Higgin or Higge, which were diminutive forms of the personal name Hugh. The name Hugh itself is derived from the Germanic elements "hug" meaning heart, mind, or soul.

Higgens first appeared in the Domesday Book of 1086 as a personal name, with references to individuals such as Higge and Higge filius Radulfi. It is likely that the surname Higgens emerged as a distinguishing name in the 12th or 13th century, as the use of hereditary surnames became more widespread in England.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Higgens can be found in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1285, where a certain William Higgens is mentioned. Another early reference is in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327, which lists a John Higgens.

The name Higgens has undergone various spelling variations throughout history, including Higgins, Higginson, and Higgenson. These variations often reflected regional dialects or scribal errors in record-keeping.

Notable individuals with the surname Higgens include:

1. Sir Richard Higgens (c. 1508 - 1570), an English diplomat and politician who served as a Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

2. John Higgens (c. 1592 - 1659), an English clergyman who authored several religious works, including "An Instruction for the right comforting Afflicted Consciences" (1624).

3. Richard Higgens (1670 - 1735), an English painter known for his portraits and historical subjects.

4. William Higgens (1763 - 1825), a British poet and writer who published works such as "The Traveller's Guide" (1797) and "The Poetical Works of William Higgens" (1806).

5. Francis Higgens (1796 - 1853), an English mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics.

While the surname Higgens is not as common as its variant spellings, it has a rich history that can be traced back to medieval England and the personal name Hugh.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Higgens families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Higgens 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. Kent leads with 45 Higgens' recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.01x.

County Total Index
Kent 45 6.01x
Yorkshire 26 1.20x
Hampshire 16 3.56x
Cornwall 13 5.23x
Lancashire 13 0.50x
Dorset 9 6.25x
Lanarkshire 9 1.27x
Monmouthshire 9 5.67x
Middlesex 8 0.36x
Renfrewshire 7 4.12x
Durham 6 0.92x
Shropshire 6 3.16x
Worcestershire 6 2.09x
Buckinghamshire 5 3.77x
Essex 5 1.15x
Leicestershire 5 2.05x
Midlothian 4 1.36x
Sussex 4 1.08x
Bedfordshire 3 2.64x
Herefordshire 3 3.33x
Staffordshire 3 0.40x
Surrey 3 0.28x
Warwickshire 3 0.54x
Berkshire 2 1.21x
Perthshire 2 2.03x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.72x
Channel Islands 1 1.54x
Cheshire 1 0.21x
Cumberland 1 0.53x
Dunbartonshire 1 1.70x
Glamorgan 1 0.26x
Northamptonshire 1 0.48x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.34x
Oxfordshire 1 0.74x
Somerset 1 0.28x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Exton in Hampshire leads with 10 Higgens' recorded in 1881 and an index of 4545.45x.

Place Total Index
Exton 10 4545.45x
Sutton Valence 10 1176.47x
Trevethin 9 60.08x
Glasgow 7 5.55x
Hook 7 5833.33x
Illogan 7 106.38x
Paisley Middle Church 7 70.71x
Dudley 6 17.22x
Maidstone 6 26.89x
St Agnes 6 172.41x
Barham 5 657.89x
Birchington 5 476.19x
Chapel Allerton 5 153.85x
Childs Ercall 5 1515.15x
Fordwich 5 2941.18x
Huddersfield 5 15.78x
Normanton 5 76.45x
Thornaby 5 61.50x
Whitwick 5 161.81x
Edinburgh Canongate 4 53.48x
Hambledon 4 263.16x
Loose 4 363.64x
Wavendon 4 540.54x
Ince In Makerfield 3 24.75x
Islington London 3 1.41x
Kensington London 3 2.46x
Little Birch 3 1428.57x
Tempsford 3 750.00x
Walthamstow 3 19.24x
Wolverhampton 3 5.27x
Bishopwearmouth 2 3.57x
Brighton 2 2.68x
Charlton 2 40.24x
Crumpsall 2 32.57x
Eastbourne 2 11.74x
Eythorne 2 571.43x
Lyme Regis 2 116.28x
Manchester 2 1.71x
Newbury 2 37.88x
Sheffield 2 2.89x
Tanfield 2 25.77x
Toxteth Park 2 2.27x
Wootton Wawen 2 114.94x
Altcar 1 243.90x
Aylesford 1 48.08x
Battersea 1 1.24x
Beckenham 1 10.21x
Birkenhead 1 2.59x
Blantyre 1 13.53x
Bootle Cum Linacre 1 4.84x
Bridgnorth St Mary 1 54.05x
Dover St Mary Virgin 1 13.79x
Gateshead 1 2.05x
Govan 1 0.57x
Gravesend 1 15.77x
Heaton Norris 1 6.75x
Horton In Bradford 1 2.94x
Hulme 1 1.84x
Kinniside 1 555.56x
Littlebourne 1 175.44x
Llantwit Vairdre 1 23.26x
Loughton 1 46.73x
Methven 1 69.44x
Milton In Milton 1 31.45x
North Cheriton 1 555.56x
Old Kilpatrick 1 14.35x
Oxford St Giles 1 15.46x
Perth West Church 1 21.41x
Poplar London 1 2.41x
Portsmouth 1 9.65x
Radford 1 6.65x
Skipton 1 14.62x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 2.26x
St Helier 1 4.72x
St Marylebone London 1 0.85x
Stoke 1 19.80x
Winslade 1 1250.00x
Wisbech St Peter 1 14.35x
Wycombe 1 10.11x
York St Michael Le 1 142.86x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 16
James 10
William 10
George 7
Thomas 7
Henry 6
Charles 5
Alfred 3
Joseph 3
Bernard 2
Edward 2
Harry 2
Martin 2
Patrick 2
Samuel 2
Albert 1
Arthur 1
Benjamin 1
Christmas 1
Claud 1
David 1
Ernest 1
Felix 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Geo.S. 1
Immanuel 1
Jabez 1
Jacob 1
Jesse 1
Jospeh 1
Lambert 1
Micheal 1
Oakley 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Roland 1
Stainburn 1
W. 1
Walter 1
Williams 1

FAQ

Higgens surname: questions and answers

How common was the Higgens surname in 1881?

In 1881, 228 people were recorded with the Higgens surname. That placed it at #11,826 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Higgens surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 115 in 2016. That gives Higgens a modern rank of #28,348.

What does the Higgens surname mean?

An occupational surname derived from the Middle English word "heghene," meaning "shoemaker."

What does the Higgens map show?

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