UK surname
An occupational surname derived from the French word for pigeon, possibly denoting a breeder or keeper of pigeons.
In the 1881 census there were 177 people recorded with the Pigeon surname, ranking it #13,889 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 90, ranked #32,202, down from #13,889 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon) and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pigeon is 177 in 1881. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 49.2%.
1881 census count
177
Ranked #13,889
Modern count
90
2016, ranked #32,202
Peak year
1881
177 bearers
Map years
5
1851 to 1901
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Pigeon surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Pigeon surname density by area, 1881 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 173 | #11,629 |
| 1861 | historical | 152 | #15,126 |
| 1881 | historical | 177 | #13,889 |
| 1891 | historical | 106 | #23,105 |
| 1901 | historical | 123 | #20,248 |
| 1911 | historical | 81 | #24,719 |
| 1997 | modern | 85 | #28,988 |
| 1998 | modern | 83 | #29,638 |
| 1999 | modern | 89 | #29,168 |
| 2000 | modern | 84 | #29,706 |
| 2001 | modern | 79 | #30,065 |
| 2002 | modern | 80 | #30,387 |
| 2003 | modern | 77 | #30,762 |
| 2004 | modern | 77 | #31,024 |
| 2005 | modern | 78 | #31,058 |
| 2006 | modern | 79 | #31,263 |
| 2007 | modern | 80 | #31,527 |
| 2008 | modern | 86 | #31,114 |
| 2009 | modern | 87 | #31,489 |
| 2010 | modern | 94 | #31,111 |
| 2011 | modern | 94 | #31,016 |
| 2012 | modern | 89 | #31,934 |
| 2013 | modern | 86 | #32,557 |
| 2014 | modern | 88 | #32,495 |
| 2015 | modern | 81 | #32,975 |
| 2016 | modern | 90 | #32,202 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon), Lambeth, Sudeley Manor, Winchcombe, Prescott and Enfield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | London parishes | London 3 |
| 2 | Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon) | Northumberland |
| 3 | Lambeth | London (South Districts) |
| 4 | Sudeley Manor, Winchcombe, Prescott | Gloucestershire |
| 5 | Enfield | Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts) |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Pigeon surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Pigeon, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Pigeon surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Pigeon household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Pigeon is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Pigeon is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Pigeon, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname PIGEON has its origins traced back to medieval France and England, deriving from the French word "pigeon" meaning "dove" or "pigeon." This name likely emerged as a nickname or occupational name for someone who kept or traded pigeons, a common practice in those times.
The earliest recorded instances of the PIGEON surname can be found in various English records from the 13th century onwards, with variations in spelling such as Pygen, Pygon, and Pijun. In the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, there is a reference to a William Pigeon.
The name also appears in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, a survey of landholdings and property ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a landowner named Radulfus Pigeon in Oxfordshire.
During the Middle Ages, the PIGEON name was particularly prevalent in the regions of Normandy, Brittany, and other parts of northern France, as well as in southern England. This suggests a connection between the name's origins and the Norman conquest of England in 1066, when many Norman families settled in the British Isles.
Notable individuals bearing the PIGEON surname include:
1. Richard Pigeon (c. 1460-1535), an English clergyman and theologian who served as the Bishop of Thetford. 2. Jean-Baptiste Pigeon (1669-1728), a French-Canadian explorer and fur trader who established trading posts in the Great Lakes region. 3. Marie-Madeleine Pigeon de l'Auberivière (1703-1778), a French noblewoman and philanthropist known for her charitable works in Paris. 4. Edmond Pigeon (1827-1899), a French lawyer and politician who served as a deputy in the National Assembly. 5. Alfred Pigeon (1874-1944), a British artist and illustrator known for his works depicting rural life in England and France.
The PIGEON surname has also been associated with various place names, particularly in England, such as Pigeonhouse Farm in Gloucestershire and Pigeon Green in Staffordshire, suggesting a connection between the name and specific locations or settlements.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pigeon surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Channel Islands leads with 33 Pigeons recorded in 1881 and an index of 54.37x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Channel Islands | 33 | 54.37x |
| Middlesex | 29 | 1.42x |
| Gloucestershire | 20 | 4.98x |
| Devon | 13 | 3.05x |
| Lancashire | 11 | 0.45x |
| Northumberland | 10 | 3.28x |
| Worcestershire | 10 | 3.74x |
| Hertfordshire | 9 | 6.37x |
| Yorkshire | 9 | 0.44x |
| Cornwall | 8 | 3.45x |
| Glamorgan | 8 | 2.24x |
| Derbyshire | 7 | 2.18x |
| Surrey | 7 | 0.70x |
| Kent | 6 | 0.86x |
| Staffordshire | 6 | 0.87x |
| Somerset | 5 | 1.52x |
| Cheshire | 4 | 0.88x |
| Warwickshire | 4 | 0.77x |
| Nottinghamshire | 2 | 0.72x |
| Shropshire | 2 | 1.13x |
| Sussex | 2 | 0.58x |
| Angus | 1 | 0.53x |
| Berkshire | 1 | 0.65x |
| Dorset | 1 | 0.74x |
| Essex | 1 | 0.25x |
| Wiltshire | 1 | 0.55x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Helier in Channel Islands leads with 20 Pigeons recorded in 1881 and an index of 101.21x.
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Pigeon surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
| Name | Count |
|---|---|
| Mary | 17 |
| Elizabeth | 8 |
| Ellen | 7 |
| Sarah | 6 |
| Jane | 5 |
| Eliza | 4 |
| Alice | 3 |
| Ann | 3 |
| Anne | 3 |
| Emma | 3 |
| Hannah | 3 |
| Louisa | 3 |
| Margaret | 3 |
| Martha | 3 |
| Sophia | 3 |
| Annie | 2 |
| Edith | 2 |
| Kate | 2 |
| Selina | 2 |
| Susan | 2 |
| Ada | 1 |
| Agnes | 1 |
| Aimee | 1 |
| Bridget | 1 |
| Catherine | 1 |
| Dinah | 1 |
| Elanor | 1 |
| Elisa | 1 |
| Emily | 1 |
| Esther | 1 |
| Fannie | 1 |
| Fanny | 1 |
| Florence | 1 |
| Helen | 1 |
| Jennet | 1 |
| Joan | 1 |
| Juzetta | 1 |
| Lucy | 1 |
| Maria | 1 |
| Marie | 1 |
| Matilda | 1 |
| Minnie | 1 |
| Rose | 1 |
| Rosena | 1 |
| Rosina | 1 |
| Ruth | 1 |
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Pigeon surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
| Name | Count |
|---|---|
| William | 14 |
| John | 12 |
| George | 6 |
| Thomas | 6 |
| Edwin | 5 |
| Henry | 5 |
| Joseph | 5 |
| Samuel | 5 |
| Charles | 3 |
| Harry | 3 |
| James | 3 |
| Philip | 3 |
| Arthur | 2 |
| Edward | 2 |
| Francis | 2 |
| Frederick | 2 |
| Patrick | 2 |
| Walter | 2 |
| Albert | 1 |
| Alfred | 1 |
| Daniel | 1 |
| Emanuel | 1 |
| Eugine | 1 |
| Fredrick | 1 |
| Joshue | 1 |
| Lawrence | 1 |
| Mary | 1 |
| Michael | 1 |
| Ph. | 1 |
| Richard | 1 |
| Robert | 1 |
| Sydney | 1 |
| Thos. | 1 |
| Willm. | 1 |
| Wm.J. | 1 |
Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Pigeon households.
| Occupation | Count |
|---|---|
| Scholar | 39 |
| General Labourer | 5 |
| Dressmaker | 4 |
| Visitor | 4 |
| School | 3 |
| Ship Carpenter | 3 |
| Brickmaker | 2 |
| Coal Miner | 2 |
| Farmers Daur | 2 |
| General Servant | 2 |
| General Servant Domestic | 2 |
| Housekeeper | 2 |
| Housemaid | 2 |
| Ironer | 2 |
| Labourer | 2 |
| Laundress | 2 |
| Servant | 2 |
| Agricl Labr Wife | 1 |
| Agricultural Laborer | 1 |
| Annuitant | 1 |
| Blacksmith | 1 |
| Bookfolder | 1 |
| Boot Closer | 1 |
| Bricklayers Lab | 1 |
| Cab Driver | 1 |
| Carman | 1 |
| Cook | 1 |
| Cook (DS) | 1 |
| Cotton Weaver | 1 |
| Cotton Weavers Wife | 1 |
| Dairyman | 1 |
| Dentist | 1 |
| Dock Gateman | 1 |
| Dom Serv Unemployed | 1 |
| Domestic Servant (Cook) | 1 |
| Farm Bailiff | 1 |
| Farmer Of 4 1/2 Acres | 1 |
| Gen Labourer | 1 |
| Gen Serv Dom | 1 |
| General Serv | 1 |
| General Serv Domestic | 1 |
| Genl Laborer | 1 |
| Genl Serv (Dom) | 1 |
| Genl Sevt | 1 |
| Gloveress | 1 |
| Governess To Children | 1 |
| Groom & Gardener | 1 |
| Holder Up Shipyard (B) | 1 |
| Housemaid (Domestic Serv) | 1 |
| Waggoner (Agr) | 1 |
FAQ
In 1881, 177 people were recorded with the Pigeon surname. That placed it at #13,889 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 90 in 2016. That gives Pigeon a modern rank of #32,202.
An occupational surname derived from the French word for pigeon, possibly denoting a breeder or keeper of pigeons.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Pigeon bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.