NameCensus.

UK surname

Higginbottom

An English surname derived from residing near or at the bottom of a hill or valley.

In the 1881 census there were 1,960 people recorded with the Higginbottom surname, ranking it #2,237 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,504, ranked #4,112, down from #2,237 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Stockport, Glossop and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include High Peak, IZ21 and North East Derbyshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Higginbottom is 2,475 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 23.3%.

1881 census count

1,960

Ranked #2,237

Modern count

1,504

2016, ranked #4,112

Peak year

1911

2,475 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Higginbottom had 1,960 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,237 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,504 in 2016, ranked #4,112.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,475 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Higginbottom surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Higginbottom surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Higginbottom 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 1,122 #2,511
1861 historical 894 #3,094
1881 historical 1,960 #2,237
1891 historical 1,823 #2,520
1901 historical 2,258 #2,404
1911 historical 2,475 #2,074
1997 modern 1,679 #3,547
1998 modern 1,710 #3,621
1999 modern 1,699 #3,662
2000 modern 1,706 #3,631
2001 modern 1,669 #3,632
2002 modern 1,673 #3,692
2003 modern 1,626 #3,710
2004 modern 1,635 #3,701
2005 modern 1,588 #3,750
2006 modern 1,569 #3,796
2007 modern 1,558 #3,844
2008 modern 1,566 #3,867
2009 modern 1,562 #3,965
2010 modern 1,570 #4,023
2011 modern 1,573 #3,975
2012 modern 1,531 #4,002
2013 modern 1,565 #3,994
2014 modern 1,546 #4,065
2015 modern 1,517 #4,097
2016 modern 1,504 #4,112

Geography

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Where Higginbottoms are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Stockport, Glossop, Manchester, Chesterfield and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to High Peak, IZ21, North East Derbyshire and Chesterfield. 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 Stockport Cheshire
2 Glossop Derbyshire
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Chesterfield Derbyshire
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 High Peak 001 High Peak
2 High Peak 003 High Peak
3 IZ21 East Lothian
4 North East Derbyshire 008 North East Derbyshire
5 Chesterfield 006 Chesterfield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Higginbottom

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Higginbottom

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Higginbottom 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

Higginbottom is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Higginbottom

The surname Higginbottom is of English origin, originating in the northern counties of England during the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from a now-lost place name, likely a habitation site or a topographical feature.

The name itself is a combination of the Old English words "higian" meaning a hedge or enclosure, and "botm" meaning a valley or a low-lying land. This suggests that the name may have referred to a person who lived in a hedged or enclosed valley or a person who lived near a particular landscape feature.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1297, where it appears as "Hugo de Hygynbothem." This indicates that the name was already established in the region by the late 13th century.

In the 16th century, the name appeared in various forms such as "Higginbottom," "Higgenbotham," and "Higgingbotham" in parish records and court rolls across Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Cheshire.

Notable individuals with the surname Higginbottom include:

1. John Higginbottom (c. 1619 - 1705), an English Puritan minister and author from Yorkshire. 2. George Higginbottom (1826 - 1892), a British horticulturist and botanist who established the Higginbottom Institute of Agriculture, Technology, and Sciences in Allahabad, India. 3. Thomas Higginbottom (1796 - 1859), an English engineer and inventor from Lancashire, known for his contributions to the development of the screw propeller. 4. William Higginbottom (1762 - 1825), an English clergyman and author from Cheshire, who wrote on topics such as agriculture and rural life. 5. Samuel Higginbottom (1840 - 1904), a British businessman and philanthropist from Yorkshire, who founded the Higginbottom Orphanage and School in Birkenhead.

While the name Higginbottom may have originated from a specific location, it eventually spread across various parts of northern England, with variants of the name emerging over time. The name's historical roots can be traced back to the medieval period, reflecting the linguistic and cultural influences that shaped English surnames.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Higginbottom families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Higginbottom 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. Lancashire leads with 681 Higginbottoms recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.01x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 681 3.01x
Derbyshire 409 13.68x
Cheshire 367 8.71x
Yorkshire 197 1.04x
Staffordshire 76 1.18x
Middlesex 63 0.33x
Lincolnshire 21 0.69x
Warwickshire 20 0.42x
Durham 18 0.32x
Nottinghamshire 17 0.66x
Kent 12 0.18x
Surrey 11 0.12x
Gloucestershire 9 0.24x
Lanarkshire 9 0.15x
Devon 8 0.20x
Midlothian 6 0.23x
Northamptonshire 6 0.33x
Worcestershire 6 0.24x
Cumberland 5 0.30x
Hampshire 4 0.10x
Northumberland 4 0.14x
Monmouthshire 3 0.22x
Royal Navy 2 0.88x
Sussex 2 0.06x
Flintshire 1 0.19x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Glossop Dale in Derbyshire leads with 131 Higginbottoms recorded in 1881 and an index of 93.59x.

Place Total Index
Glossop Dale 131 93.59x
Ashton Under Lyne 101 20.40x
Hyde 76 61.12x
Marple 56 193.57x
Dukinfield 54 27.73x
Little Hulton 52 138.63x
Sheffield 45 7.47x
Manchester 42 4.12x
Worsley 42 30.08x
Beard Ollerset Whitle 39 198.37x
Chorlton On Medlock 34 9.45x
Stoke Upon Trent 30 4.39x
Disley Stanley 29 133.64x
Gorton 26 12.21x
Brampton 25 59.84x
Hayfield 25 136.31x
Denton 24 47.81x
Dronfield 24 62.66x
Farnworth 23 16.95x
Salford 23 3.45x
Stockport 23 10.61x
Ludworth 22 156.25x
Newton In Ashton Under 22 52.91x
Bury 20 7.73x
Ecclesall Bierlow 19 4.94x
Wolstanton Knutton 18 45.74x
Chesterfield 17 15.17x
Droylsden 16 21.65x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 16 24.54x
Derby St Werburgh 15 8.69x
Little Bolton 15 5.15x
Mottram 15 78.58x
Ollersett 15 257.29x
Ardwick 14 6.85x
Hollingworth 14 80.55x
Preston 14 2.31x
Werneth 14 106.06x
Withington 14 19.19x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 13 7.38x
Godley 13 142.86x
Leeds 13 1.22x
Oldham 13 1.78x
Stayley 13 26.99x
Whittington 13 31.44x
Brightside Bierlow 12 3.23x
Chadderton 12 10.84x
Saddleworth 12 8.22x
Wuerdle Wardle 12 17.45x
Barton Upon Irwell 11 6.45x
Hathersage 11 131.26x
Islington London 11 0.59x
Birmingham 10 0.62x
Heaton Norris 10 7.76x
Newton 10 5.73x
St Marylebone London 10 0.98x
Tintwistle 10 44.41x
Tupton 10 111.23x
Beard 9 92.59x
Birkenhead 9 2.68x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 9 2.55x
Govan 9 0.59x
Halifax 9 3.24x
Hatton 9 775.86x
Liverpool 9 0.65x
Norton 9 36.54x
Thornaby 9 12.73x
Chelsea London 8 1.39x
Hulme 8 1.69x
Newbold Dunston 8 28.16x
Newton Abbot St Mary 8 24.00x
North Meols 8 3.61x
Shoreditch London 8 0.97x
Toxteth Park 8 1.04x
Warwick St Nicholas 8 22.66x
Wortley In Bramley 8 5.34x
Broughton In Salford 7 3.38x
Castleton 7 3.09x
Maer 7 272.37x
Rusholme 7 11.59x
Staveley 7 13.19x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 160
Sarah 106
Elizabeth 79
Ann 56
Alice 46
Ellen 33
Martha 29
Hannah 28
Jane 25
Margaret 24
Emma 23
Eliza 22
Annie 21
Harriet 20
Maria 14
Esther 13
Lucy 11
Ada 10
Anne 10
Edith 10
Fanny 10
Emily 9
Louisa 8
Clara 7
Frances 7
Agnes 6
Betty 6
Catherine 6
Elizth. 6
Matilda 6
Amelia 5
Betsy 5
Caroline 5
Charlotte 5
Harriett 5
Isabella 5
Kate 5
Amy 4
Lydia 4
Selina 4
Beatrice 3
Eleanor 3
Gertrude 3
Helen 3
Julia 3
Laura 3
Lilian 3
Priscilla 3
Rebecca 3
Rose 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 120
William 92
James 89
Joseph 56
Thomas 53
George 51
Samuel 38
Henry 31
Robert 28
Alfred 20
Charles 20
Herbert 13
Edward 12
Walter 12
Harry 11
Arthur 10
Fred 10
Albert 9
Edwin 8
Isaac 8
Peter 8
Ralph 8
Wm. 8
David 7
Frederick 7
Jas. 6
Jonathan 6
Richard 6
Daniel 5
Ernest 5
Frank 5
Joe 5
Benjamin 4
Eli 4
Jesse 4
Jno. 4
Saml. 4
Tom 4
Wright 4
Alexander 3
Christopher 3
Hugh 3
Leonard 3
Reuben 3
Sidney 3
Stephen 3
Thos. 3
Wilfred 3
Ben 2
Edmund 2

FAQ

Higginbottom surname: questions and answers

How common was the Higginbottom surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,960 people were recorded with the Higginbottom surname. That placed it at #2,237 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Higginbottom surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,504 in 2016. That gives Higginbottom a modern rank of #4,112.

What does the Higginbottom surname mean?

An English surname derived from residing near or at the bottom of a hill or valley.

What does the Higginbottom map show?

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