NameCensus.

UK surname

Highman

A surname derived from a tall or elevated place or person.

In the 1881 census there were 160 people recorded with the Highman surname, ranking it #14,860 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 102, ranked #30,722, down from #14,860 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Leeds, Derby and Teignbridge.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Highman is 264 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 36.3%.

1881 census count

160

Ranked #14,860

Modern count

102

2016, ranked #30,722

Peak year

1861

264 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Highman had 160 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,860 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 102 in 2016, ranked #30,722.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 264 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Highman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Highman surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Highman 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 113 #15,815
1861 historical 264 #9,385
1881 historical 160 #14,860
1891 historical 167 #17,006
1901 historical 189 #15,684
1911 historical 196 #15,150
1997 modern 117 #24,553
1998 modern 124 #24,316
1999 modern 123 #24,643
2000 modern 121 #24,824
2001 modern 104 #26,765
2002 modern 109 #26,552
2003 modern 95 #28,536
2004 modern 95 #28,746
2005 modern 97 #28,485
2006 modern 100 #28,283
2007 modern 97 #29,156
2008 modern 100 #29,001
2009 modern 96 #30,239
2010 modern 104 #29,618
2011 modern 107 #28,979
2012 modern 96 #30,949
2013 modern 104 #30,076
2014 modern 103 #30,539
2015 modern 104 #30,269
2016 modern 102 #30,722

Geography

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Where Highmans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Shaftesbury St James and Shaftesbury St Peter. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Leeds, Derby, Teignbridge, Croydon and Gosport. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Shaftesbury St James Dorset
5 Shaftesbury St Peter Dorset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Leeds 067 Leeds
2 Derby 001 Derby
3 Teignbridge 002 Teignbridge
4 Croydon 001 Croydon
5 Gosport 005 Gosport

Forenames

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First names often paired with Highman

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Highman

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Highman, 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 Highman surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Highman 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Highman is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Highman 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

Highman falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Highman

The surname HIGHMAN is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, likely between the 12th and 15th centuries. It is derived from the Old English words "heah" meaning high and "mann" meaning man, suggesting that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone who was tall or lived in a high or elevated location.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various historical documents from the 13th century onwards, such as tax rolls, parish records, and court proceedings. One notable example is the mention of a William Highman in the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name HIGHMAN appeared in various forms, including Higheman, Hyman, and Heyghman, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation that were common in those times. Some of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname include John Highman, a landowner in Gloucestershire in the late 16th century, and Thomas Highman, a merchant from London who was involved in trade with the East Indies in the early 17th century.

The name HIGHMAN is also associated with several place names, such as Highman's Park in Essex and Highman's Hill in Kent, which may have derived their names from individuals bearing this surname who lived or owned property in those areas.

In terms of notable historical figures, one of the earliest was Sir William Highman (1570-1638), an English lawyer and judge who served as a Justice of the King's Bench during the reign of King Charles I. Another prominent individual was George Highman (1715-1799), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works and served as a chaplain to King George III.

Other notable HIGHMAN individuals throughout history include:

1. John Highman (1615-1685), an English Puritan minister and author known for his religious writings. 2. Nathaniel Highman (1663-1737), an English mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of navigation and the calculation of latitude. 3. Thomas Highman (1796-1876), a British architect known for designing several notable buildings in London, including the Fitzroy Square Chapel and the Royal Botanic Gardens in Regent's Park. 4. Mary Highman (1825-1891), a British artist and illustrator known for her watercolor paintings of flowers and landscapes. 5. William Highman (1854-1928), a British engineer and industrialist who founded the Highman Engineering Company, which played a significant role in the development of early automotive technology.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Highman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Highman 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. Dorset leads with 35 Highmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 33.95x.

County Total Index
Dorset 35 33.95x
Surrey 22 2.87x
Gloucestershire 18 5.84x
Lancashire 14 0.75x
Somerset 13 5.14x
Wiltshire 12 8.64x
Cornwall 9 5.06x
Middlesex 9 0.57x
Hampshire 8 2.49x
Kent 7 1.31x
Glamorgan 6 2.19x
Devon 2 0.61x
Yorkshire 2 0.13x
Berkshire 1 0.85x
Herefordshire 1 1.55x
Monmouthshire 1 0.88x
Sussex 1 0.38x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 13 Highmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.49x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 13 9.49x
Shaftesbury Holy Trinity 13 2452.83x
Salisbury St Edmund 10 448.43x
Shaftesbury St James 10 1851.85x
Calstock 8 229.23x
Camberwell 7 6.98x
Lancaster 7 63.12x
Bristol St James St Paul 6 58.42x
Huntspill 6 582.52x
Llanfabon 6 419.58x
Milton In Gravesend 6 74.63x
Bitton Oldland 5 158.73x
Blandford Forum 5 246.31x
Islington London 5 3.28x
Iwerne Courtnay 5 724.64x
Barrow In Furness 4 15.78x
Bristol St George 4 28.07x
Portsea 4 6.34x
Bedminster 3 12.63x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 2 6.90x
Church Oakley 2 1250.00x
Oldham 2 3.33x
Salisbury St Thomas 2 181.82x
Sculcoates 2 8.11x
Shaftesbury St Peter 2 416.67x
St George Hanover Square 2 7.23x
Bermondsey 1 2.14x
Bristol St Paul In 1 12.18x
Burnham 1 51.81x
Clerkenwell London 1 2.70x
Hereford St John 1 136.99x
Lynton 1 153.85x
Millbrook 1 12.33x
Paignton 1 40.16x
Plumstead 1 5.60x
Richmond 1 9.33x
Shire Newton 1 243.90x
St Faith Under St Pauls 1 769.23x
Subdeanery 1 49.75x
Toxteth Park 1 1.58x
Wallingford St Leonard 1 181.82x
Weston Super Mare 1 15.67x
Whatley 1 434.78x
Wincanton 1 76.92x
Withiel 1 454.55x
Woodgreen 1 625.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 7
Charles 6
John 6
Henry 5
George 4
James 4
Thomas 4
Albert 3
Alfred 3
Edwin 3
Frank 3
Harry 3
Frederick 2
Isaac 2
Wm. 2
Arthur 1
C. 1
Christopher 1
Earnest 1
Edgar 1
Edward 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Geo. 1
Harold 1
Harray 1
Jno. 1
Jos. 1
Joseph 1
Josiah 1
Lowis 1
Percival 1
Reginald 1
Richard 1

FAQ

Highman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Highman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 160 people were recorded with the Highman surname. That placed it at #14,860 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Highman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 102 in 2016. That gives Highman a modern rank of #30,722.

What does the Highman surname mean?

A surname derived from a tall or elevated place or person.

What does the Highman map show?

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