NameCensus.

UK surname

Igo

A surname of uncertain origin, possibly derived from the Welsh "igu" meaning to freeze.

In the 1881 census there were 134 people recorded with the Igo surname, ranking it #16,602 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 108, ranked #29,578, down from #16,602 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Gateshead, Manchester and Batley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Newcastle upon Tyne, Trafford and Redcar and Cleveland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Igo is 172 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 19.4%.

1881 census count

134

Ranked #16,602

Modern count

108

2016, ranked #29,578

Peak year

1901

172 bearers

Map years

4

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Igo had 134 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,602 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 108 in 2016, ranked #29,578.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 172 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Igo surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Igo surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Igo 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 73 #20,581
1881 historical 134 #16,602
1891 historical 6 #33,800
1901 historical 172 #16,643
1997 modern 115 #24,834
1998 modern 117 #25,190
1999 modern 113 #25,913
2000 modern 103 #27,280
2001 modern 106 #26,468
2002 modern 119 #25,231
2003 modern 117 #25,282
2004 modern 111 #26,293
2005 modern 102 #27,689
2006 modern 96 #28,946
2007 modern 101 #28,505
2008 modern 105 #28,180
2009 modern 115 #27,207
2010 modern 113 #28,162
2011 modern 114 #27,784
2012 modern 114 #27,868
2013 modern 110 #29,028
2014 modern 112 #28,934
2015 modern 103 #30,444
2016 modern 108 #29,578

Geography

Back to top

Where Igos are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Gateshead, Manchester, Batley, St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles and Middlesborough. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Newcastle upon Tyne, Trafford, Redcar and Cleveland and Tameside. 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 Gateshead Durham
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Batley Yorkshire, West Riding
4 St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles Yorkshire, East Riding
5 Middlesborough Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Newcastle upon Tyne 028 Newcastle upon Tyne
2 Trafford 014 Trafford
3 Redcar and Cleveland 011 Redcar and Cleveland
4 Tameside 006 Tameside
5 Newcastle upon Tyne 030 Newcastle upon Tyne

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Igo

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Igo

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Igo surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Igo household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Igo is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Igo 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

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

Meaning and origin of Igo

The surname Igo is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "igg" or "ig," which referred to an island or a low-lying meadow. It first appeared in records in the 13th century, primarily concentrated in the counties of Berkshire and Oxfordshire.

One of the earliest documented instances of the name Igo can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a Richard de Igge is mentioned as residing in the village of Bray, Berkshire. This suggests that the name may have originated as a toponymic surname, referring to someone who resided near or on an island or low-lying meadow.

During the 14th century, the name appears to have undergone some variations in spelling, with records showing variants such as Igge, Iggo, and Yggo. This was common during the Middle Ages, as spelling conventions were not yet standardized.

Historically, the Igo surname has been associated with several notable individuals. One such person was Sir William Igo (c. 1460-1534), a prominent English merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London. He served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1514 and was known for his philanthropic efforts, including funding the construction of a grammar school in his hometown of Berkhamsted.

Another notable bearer of the Igo surname was John Igo (1595-1670), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the rector of Stoke Bruerne in Northamptonshire. He was a renowned theologian and authored several works on religious subjects.

In the 18th century, we find mention of James Igo (1725-1802), a successful businessman and landowner from Wiltshire. He amassed a considerable fortune through his involvement in the wool trade and invested in various properties across the region.

Moving into the 19th century, Thomas Igo (1817-1891) was a prominent architect from Yorkshire, best known for his work on several churches and public buildings in the region. His most notable design was the Church of St. Peter in Leeds, which was completed in 1854.

Finally, in the early 20th century, we have Elizabeth Igo (1891-1972), a British author and journalist who wrote several novels and short stories. She is particularly remembered for her work in promoting women's rights and advocating for equal opportunities in the literary world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Igo families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Igo 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 54 Igos recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.41x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 54 3.41x
Yorkshire 43 3.25x
Cheshire 12 4.07x
Middlesex 7 0.52x
Northumberland 6 3.02x
Durham 3 0.75x
Selkirkshire 3 24.81x
Hampshire 2 0.73x
Derbyshire 1 0.48x
Devon 1 0.36x
Shropshire 1 0.87x
Staffordshire 1 0.22x
Surrey 1 0.15x
Warwickshire 1 0.30x
Worcestershire 1 0.57x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Manchester in Lancashire leads with 17 Igos recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.84x.

Place Total Index
Manchester 17 23.84x
Chorlton On Medlock 8 31.76x
Dewsbury 8 58.91x
Hulme 8 24.17x
Oldham 8 15.63x
York Minster Yard W 8 2580.65x
Skinningrove 7 864.20x
Westminster St James 7 50.95x
Wallsend 6 95.09x
Leeds 5 6.69x
Runcorn 5 73.53x
Salford 5 10.72x
York St Margaret 5 609.76x
Bury 3 16.57x
Chester St Oswald 3 56.18x
Selkirk 3 87.98x
York St George 3 288.46x
Chester St John Baptist 2 37.74x
Helperby 2 689.66x
Whitworth 2 68.73x
Ashton Under Lyne 1 2.89x
Birkenhead 1 4.25x
Birmingham 1 0.89x
Broseley 1 48.78x
Cheetham 1 8.45x
Clifton In York 1 36.10x
Easingwold 1 107.53x
Eastham 1 256.41x
Glossop Dale 1 10.20x
Hursley 1 156.25x
Kings Norton 1 6.39x
Kingston On Thames 1 6.39x
Lichfield St Chad 1 99.01x
Lidford 1 80.00x
Liverpool 1 1.04x
Normanby In 1 28.25x
Northallerton 1 59.17x
Portsea 1 1.86x
Radcliffe 1 13.09x
Southwick 1 26.60x
Towton 1 2500.00x
Walton Le Dale 1 23.47x

FAQ

Igo surname: questions and answers

How common was the Igo surname in 1881?

In 1881, 134 people were recorded with the Igo surname. That placed it at #16,602 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Igo surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 108 in 2016. That gives Igo a modern rank of #29,578.

What does the Igo surname mean?

A surname of uncertain origin, possibly derived from the Welsh "igu" meaning to freeze.

What does the Igo map show?

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