NameCensus.

UK surname

Pigg

An English occupational surname referring to a person who herded pigs or worked with pigs.

In the 1881 census there were 885 people recorded with the Pigg surname, ranking it #4,292 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 386, ranked #12,202, down from #4,292 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Darlington and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland and Allerdale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pigg is 1,154 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 56.4%.

1881 census count

885

Ranked #4,292

Modern count

386

2016, ranked #12,202

Peak year

1911

1,154 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pigg had 885 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,292 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 386 in 2016, ranked #12,202.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,154 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Pigg surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pigg surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pigg 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 696 #3,746
1861 historical 829 #3,326
1881 historical 885 #4,292
1891 historical 962 #4,297
1901 historical 1,126 #4,308
1911 historical 1,154 #4,047
1997 modern 546 #8,712
1998 modern 565 #8,738
1999 modern 568 #8,755
2000 modern 545 #9,017
2001 modern 522 #9,162
2002 modern 516 #9,432
2003 modern 465 #9,985
2004 modern 454 #10,229
2005 modern 424 #10,691
2006 modern 415 #10,928
2007 modern 400 #11,374
2008 modern 386 #11,795
2009 modern 389 #11,980
2010 modern 401 #11,973
2011 modern 393 #12,017
2012 modern 383 #12,099
2013 modern 395 #12,035
2014 modern 395 #12,125
2015 modern 396 #11,994
2016 modern 386 #12,202

Geography

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Where Piggs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Darlington, Gateshead, Tynemouth and Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northumberland and Allerdale. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Darlington Durham
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Tynemouth Northumberland
5 Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northumberland 036 Northumberland
2 Northumberland 019 Northumberland
3 Allerdale 002 Allerdale
4 Allerdale 001 Allerdale
5 Northumberland 007 Northumberland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pigg

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pigg

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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Pigg is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Pigg is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Pigg falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Pigg

The surname Pigg originates from England, with the earliest known records dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "picg," which means "pig" or "piglet." This occupational surname was likely given to someone who raised or traded pigs for a living.

The name Pigg can be found in various historical records, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it is recorded as "Pigge." It is also present in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, which lists individuals with the name "Pygge" and "Pygg."

One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname is Robert Pigge, who was mentioned in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in 1275. Another early bearer of the name was Willelmus Pigge, who was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1301.

In the 14th century, the name Pigg appeared in various place names, such as Piggescroft (Pigscroft) in Yorkshire, which is derived from the Old English words "picg" and "croft," meaning "pig enclosure."

During the 16th century, the name Pigg was found in several records, including the Wills and Inventories of the Archdeaconry of Sudbury in 1570, where a person named Thomas Pigge was mentioned.

One notable individual with the surname Pigg was John Pigg, an English clergyman and academic who lived from 1753 to 1830. He served as the Rector of Nuneham Courtenay in Oxfordshire and was also a fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford.

Another prominent bearer of the name was Thomas Pigg, a British architect who lived from 1776 to 1841. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Opera Arcade and the Haymarket Theatre.

In the 19th century, the surname Pigg was found in various records, such as the 1841 Census of England and Wales, which listed several individuals with this name residing in different parts of the country.

Other historical figures with the surname Pigg include William Pigg, an English soldier who served in the Crimean War (1853-1856), and George Pigg, a British explorer and naturalist who lived from 1810 to 1892 and traveled extensively in South America.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pigg families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pigg 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. Northumberland leads with 252 Piggs recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.66x.

County Total Index
Northumberland 252 19.66x
Durham 233 9.09x
Norfolk 112 8.46x
Cumberland 71 9.57x
Hertfordshire 42 7.07x
Essex 38 2.23x
Cambridgeshire 20 3.67x
Suffolk 20 1.91x
Berkshire 18 2.78x
Middlesex 17 0.20x
Lincolnshire 13 0.94x
Shropshire 11 1.48x
Surrey 11 0.26x
Warwickshire 6 0.28x
Yorkshire 5 0.06x
Lancashire 4 0.04x
Huntingdonshire 3 1.75x
Hampshire 2 0.11x
Leicestershire 1 0.10x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.09x
Roxburghshire 1 0.64x
Staffordshire 1 0.03x
Westmorland 1 0.53x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Darlington in Durham leads with 31 Piggs recorded in 1881 and an index of 31.33x.

Place Total Index
Darlington 31 31.33x
Hexham 25 126.07x
Elswick 24 23.47x
Tynemouth 22 32.06x
Allendale 19 159.93x
Brandiston 17 4047.62x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 17 15.32x
Bishopwearmouth 16 7.27x
Acomb 15 482.32x
Layston 15 474.68x
Ovington 15 955.41x
Tunstall 15 117.55x
Corbridge 14 298.51x
Sunderland 14 30.94x
Barkway 13 555.56x
Catfield 13 698.92x
Chrishall 13 769.23x
Haughton Le Skerne 13 616.11x
Mickley 13 321.78x
Wetheral 13 132.38x
Haydon 12 171.18x
Stranton 12 13.91x
Solport 11 1506.85x
Haswell 10 54.44x
Great Grimsby 9 10.30x
Ipswich St Margaret 9 25.28x
Seaham 9 96.36x
Wokingham 9 60.98x
Bassingbourn 8 99.75x
Bishop Auckland 8 23.27x
Gateshead 8 4.17x
Heigham 8 11.25x
Newfield 8 235.29x
Newington 8 2.51x
North Walsham 8 83.77x
Norwich St Augustine 8 149.81x
Stockton On Tees 8 6.48x
Tasburgh 8 610.69x
Arthuret 7 90.56x
Bellingham 7 325.58x
Hadleigh 7 68.76x
Edenhall 6 750.00x
Jesmond 6 33.28x
Marwood 6 1034.48x
Minsterley 6 218.98x
Monkseaton 6 416.67x
Monkwearmouth 6 24.46x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 6 7.84x
Newcastle On Tyne St 6 9.03x
Orsett 6 135.44x
Ridley 6 937.50x
Shildon 6 29.14x
St Cuthbert W O 6 16.60x
St Edward Cambridge 6 346.82x
St Osyth 6 145.28x
Warden 6 229.01x
Wellhaugh 6 645.16x
Westward 6 193.55x
Bawdeswell 5 378.79x
Bedlington 5 11.69x
Corsenside 5 248.76x
Dawdon 5 15.86x
Iveston 5 42.34x
Kyo 5 41.46x
Leyton Low 5 14.47x
Lyng 5 335.57x
Norwich St Andrew 5 221.24x
Norwich St George Colegate 5 103.73x
Orton 5 373.13x
Sandhurst 5 39.94x
Whittonstall 5 1086.96x
Brandon Byshottles 4 12.46x
Byker 4 6.31x
Cookham 4 19.84x
Islington London 4 0.48x
Shoreditch London 4 1.07x
Shrewsbury St Mary 4 13.62x
Tewin 4 256.41x
West Lynn 4 235.29x
Wootton Wawen 4 58.48x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 64
William 59
Thomas 39
James 29
Robert 27
George 26
Joseph 24
Charles 20
Henry 12
Arthur 10
Edward 9
Adam 8
Michael 7
Walter 7
Ralph 6
Alfred 5
Matthew 5
Roger 5
Anthony 4
David 4
Harry 4
Christopher 3
Frank 3
Herbert 3
Samuel 3
Wm. 3
Anthon 2
Edwin 2
Ernest 2
Francis 2
Frederick 2
Philip 2
Reginald 2
Richard 2
Ridley 2
Thos. 2
Alexander 1
Ann 1
Barker 1
Benjaman 1
Benjamin 1
Chas. 1
Elijah 1
Eliz. 1
Fredrick 1
Geo. 1
Jason 1
Josiah 1
Mickle 1
Reuben 1

FAQ

Pigg surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pigg surname in 1881?

In 1881, 885 people were recorded with the Pigg surname. That placed it at #4,292 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pigg surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 386 in 2016. That gives Pigg a modern rank of #12,202.

What does the Pigg surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a person who herded pigs or worked with pigs.

What does the Pigg map show?

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