NameCensus.

UK surname

Highet

Originally a nickname referring to someone tall or haughty.

In the 1881 census there were 254 people recorded with the Highet surname, ranking it #10,949 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 215, ranked #18,670, down from #10,949 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Dundonald, Govan Combination and Greenock. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Dalbeattie Rural, Rushcliffe and Bellfield and Kirkstyle.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Highet is 290 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 15.4%.

1881 census count

254

Ranked #10,949

Modern count

215

2016, ranked #18,670

Peak year

1891

290 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Highet had 254 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,949 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 215 in 2016, ranked #18,670.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 290 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Highet surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Highet surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Highet 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 167 #11,936
1861 historical 200 #12,005
1881 historical 254 #10,949
1891 historical 290 #11,409
1901 historical 290 #11,925
1911 historical 51 #27,708
1997 modern 178 #18,958
1998 modern 183 #19,106
1999 modern 190 #18,797
2000 modern 199 #18,278
2001 modern 199 #17,996
2002 modern 195 #18,590
2003 modern 196 #18,358
2004 modern 202 #18,110
2005 modern 205 #17,838
2006 modern 206 #17,945
2007 modern 204 #18,251
2008 modern 200 #18,640
2009 modern 210 #18,426
2010 modern 216 #18,492
2011 modern 211 #18,630
2012 modern 216 #18,251
2013 modern 215 #18,598
2014 modern 219 #18,523
2015 modern 216 #18,600
2016 modern 215 #18,670

Geography

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Where Highets are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Dundonald, Govan Combination, Greenock, Glasgow and Kilmarnock. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Dalbeattie Rural, Rushcliffe, Bellfield and Kirkstyle and East Devon. 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 Dundonald Ayr
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Greenock Renfrew
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Kilmarnock Ayr

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Dalbeattie Rural Dumfries and Galloway
2 Rushcliffe 001 Rushcliffe
3 Bellfield and Kirkstyle East Ayrshire
4 East Devon 007 East Devon
5 East Devon 009 East Devon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Highet

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Highet

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Highet surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Highet household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Highet is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Highet 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

Highet falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Highet

The surname Highet traces its origins to Scotland, specifically the Lowlands region. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "hight," which means "high" or "tall." This suggests that the name was initially a descriptive nickname given to someone of tall stature.

In the 12th century, the surname Highet appeared in Lanarkshire, Scotland, where the family held lands and estates. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage rolls submitted to King Edward I of England. This document lists a Walter Hight among the landowners who swore fealty to the English king.

The Highet surname has also been associated with the place name Hightae or Hightie, a village located in Dumfriesshire, Scotland. This place name is believed to have originated from the Old English words "hēah" (high) and "tūn" (enclosure or settlement), suggesting a connection between the surname and the geographical location.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Highet surname. One prominent figure was Gilbert Highet (1906-1978), a Scottish-American scholar and author known for his work on classical literature and his influential book "The Art of Teaching." Another notable Highet was John Highet (1616-1676), a Scottish minister and writer who was a prominent figure in the Covenanter movement.

Other individuals with the Highet surname include:

1. Robert Highet (1572-1635), a Scottish minister and professor of philosophy at the University of St. Andrews. 2. James Highet (1795-1878), a Scottish-born Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada. 3. Helen Highet (1899-1985), an American academic and author who specialized in the study of classical literature. 4. William Highet (1863-1946), a Scottish-born Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. 5. Robert Highet (1919-2015), a Scottish-born American classicist and professor at Columbia University.

While the Highet surname has its roots in Scotland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America and other English-speaking countries, as a result of migration and diaspora over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Highet families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Highet 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. Ayrshire leads with 168 Highets recorded in 1881 and an index of 90.61x.

County Total Index
Ayrshire 168 90.61x
Lanarkshire 31 3.87x
Renfrewshire 15 7.81x
Lancashire 12 0.41x
Wigtownshire 7 21.28x
Middlesex 5 0.20x
Midlothian 5 1.51x
Stirlingshire 5 5.47x
Cumberland 3 1.41x
Argyllshire 1 1.45x
Cheshire 1 0.18x
Dumfriesshire 1 1.83x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kilmarnock in Ayrshire leads with 36 Highets recorded in 1881 and an index of 163.12x.

Place Total Index
Kilmarnock 36 163.12x
Stewarton 28 762.94x
Ayr 26 297.14x
Galston 20 394.48x
Govan 18 9.08x
Barony 9 4.44x
East Greenock 9 49.64x
Toxteth Park 9 9.04x
Ardrossan 8 124.61x
Dundonald 7 102.34x
Irvine 6 116.50x
Sorbie 6 416.67x
Fenwick 5 510.20x
Straiton 5 476.19x
West Greenock 5 14.51x
Duddingston 4 60.06x
Bow London 3 9.51x
Dalmellington 3 55.05x
Gorbals 3 63.03x
Kilmaurs 3 95.24x
Maybole 3 53.10x
Muirkirk 3 68.97x
Polmont 3 89.02x
St Quivox 3 47.85x
Tarbolton 3 98.36x
Workington 3 24.57x
Kirkdale 2 4.04x
Kirkmichael 2 118.34x
Monkton Prestwick 2 111.11x
Abbey 1 3.41x
Birkenhead 1 2.29x
Dalrymple 1 86.21x
Dumfries 1 18.52x
Dunlop 1 86.21x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 0.75x
Everton 1 1.07x
Falkirk 1 4.68x
Glasgow 1 0.70x
Hampstead London 1 2.59x
Harefield 1 78.13x
Killearn 1 104.17x
Kilmore Kilbride 1 22.83x
Largs 1 22.88x
Loudoun 1 22.42x
Penninghame 1 29.76x
Riccarton 1 35.71x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 3
Elizabeth 2
Ann 1
Annie 1
Bridget 1
Clara 1
Jane 1
Mariah 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 2
Charles 1
Duncan 1
Henry 1
James 1
John 1
Robert 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Highet surname: questions and answers

How common was the Highet surname in 1881?

In 1881, 254 people were recorded with the Highet surname. That placed it at #10,949 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Highet surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 215 in 2016. That gives Highet a modern rank of #18,670.

What does the Highet surname mean?

Originally a nickname referring to someone tall or haughty.

What does the Highet map show?

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