NameCensus.

UK surname

Spriggs

An English occupational surname referring to someone who made or sold twigs and small branches.

In the 1881 census there were 1,485 people recorded with the Spriggs surname, ranking it #2,815 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,619, ranked #3,846, down from #2,815 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Weldon, Great, London parishes and Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Fenland, St. Helens and Sefton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Spriggs is 1,951 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 9.0%.

1881 census count

1,485

Ranked #2,815

Modern count

1,619

2016, ranked #3,846

Peak year

1911

1,951 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Spriggs had 1,485 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,815 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,619 in 2016, ranked #3,846.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,951 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Spriggs surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Spriggs surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Spriggs 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 956 #2,903
1861 historical 866 #3,203
1881 historical 1,485 #2,815
1891 historical 1,564 #2,837
1901 historical 1,815 #2,888
1911 historical 1,951 #2,543
1997 modern 1,715 #3,474
1998 modern 1,758 #3,533
1999 modern 1,789 #3,498
2000 modern 1,775 #3,501
2001 modern 1,757 #3,465
2002 modern 1,783 #3,491
2003 modern 1,719 #3,547
2004 modern 1,678 #3,622
2005 modern 1,622 #3,689
2006 modern 1,641 #3,658
2007 modern 1,627 #3,716
2008 modern 1,636 #3,728
2009 modern 1,661 #3,761
2010 modern 1,717 #3,719
2011 modern 1,672 #3,770
2012 modern 1,630 #3,775
2013 modern 1,648 #3,810
2014 modern 1,644 #3,847
2015 modern 1,629 #3,834
2016 modern 1,619 #3,846

Geography

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Where Spriggs' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Weldon, Great, London parishes, Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory, Kettering and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Fenland, St. Helens, Sefton and Peterhead Links. 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 Weldon, Great Northamptonshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory Northamptonshire
4 Kettering Northamptonshire
5 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Fenland 004 Fenland
2 Fenland 003 Fenland
3 St. Helens 022 St. Helens
4 Sefton 037 Sefton
5 Peterhead Links Aberdeenshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Spriggs

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Spriggs

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Spriggs, 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 Spriggs surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Spriggs 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Spriggs is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Spriggs is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Spriggs 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 Spriggs is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Spriggs, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Spriggs

The surname Spriggs has its origins in England, where it first emerged in the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "sprig," which referred to a small branch or twig, suggesting that the name may have initially been given as a nickname or occupational name to someone who worked with small branches or twigs, such as a basket weaver or thatcher.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Spriggs can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275, where a John Sprigge is listed. The spelling variations of the name during this time included Sprigge, Sprigg, and Spriggs, reflecting the inconsistencies in orthography and pronunciation common in medieval times.

The Spriggs surname is also mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279, indicating that the name was present in multiple regions of England during the late 13th century. This record lists a William Sprigge, who may have been a landowner or a person of some prominence in the local community.

In the 16th century, the name appears in various historical documents, including parish records and tax rolls. One notable figure from this period was John Spriggs, born around 1550 in Gloucestershire. He was a merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol, playing an influential role in local affairs.

During the 17th century, the Spriggs surname continued to be present in various parts of England. In 1642, a William Spriggs was listed as a freeman of the city of Norwich, indicating his status as a respected citizen with certain rights and privileges.

Another notable individual bearing the Spriggs name was Sir Nathaniel Spriggs (1628-1688), an English merchant and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Lymington in Hampshire. He was involved in the East India Company and played a role in the political and economic affairs of his time.

In the 18th century, the Spriggs surname gained further prominence with individuals such as Robert Spriggs (1700-1770), a noted English architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Customs House in King's Lynn, Norfolk.

As the centuries progressed, the Spriggs name spread to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, where descendants of English immigrants continued to carry on the surname and its legacy.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Spriggs families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Spriggs 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. Leicestershire leads with 219 Spriggs' recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.61x.

County Total Index
Leicestershire 219 13.61x
Northamptonshire 217 15.89x
Middlesex 185 1.27x
Surrey 78 1.10x
Lincolnshire 65 2.80x
Cambridgeshire 64 6.96x
Yorkshire 62 0.43x
Huntingdonshire 61 21.17x
Somerset 61 2.61x
Buckinghamshire 51 5.81x
Warwickshire 51 1.39x
Kent 42 0.85x
Lancashire 40 0.23x
Hertfordshire 39 3.90x
Hampshire 33 1.11x
Staffordshire 29 0.59x
Essex 27 0.94x
Derbyshire 25 1.10x
Gloucestershire 24 0.84x
Nottinghamshire 19 0.97x
Dorset 15 1.57x
Devon 13 0.43x
Worcestershire 13 0.69x
Bedfordshire 12 1.60x
Durham 10 0.23x
Rutland 10 9.38x
Pembrokeshire 5 1.08x
Oxfordshire 4 0.45x
Glamorgan 3 0.12x
Suffolk 3 0.17x
Carmarthenshire 2 0.33x
Lanarkshire 2 0.04x
Midlothian 1 0.05x
Monmouthshire 1 0.10x
Northumberland 1 0.05x
Sussex 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leicester St Margaret in Leicestershire leads with 71 Spriggs' recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.09x.

Place Total Index
Leicester St Margaret 71 18.09x
Lavendon 33 837.56x
Little Weldon 30 1327.43x
Bridgewater 25 39.41x
Bedminster 24 10.93x
Peterborough 23 23.27x
Whittlesey St Mary St 22 68.51x
Aston 21 2.08x
Lubenham 21 716.72x
St Marylebone London 21 2.71x
Bethnal Green London 20 3.17x
Wellingborough 19 27.68x
Mile End Old Town 18 7.86x
Birmingham 17 1.39x
Islington London 17 1.21x
Kettering 17 30.79x
Leicester St Leonard 17 111.62x
West Ham 17 2.69x
Camberwell 16 1.73x
Deptford St Paul 16 4.19x
Leicester All Sts 15 47.45x
Newington 15 2.80x
Sawtry St Andrew 15 819.67x
St Pancras London 15 1.28x
Crowle 13 92.00x
Hartwell 13 522.09x
Lambeth 13 1.03x
Northampton St Giles 13 25.00x
Parson Drove 13 353.26x
Sawtry All Sts 13 384.62x
Sydling St Nicholas 13 467.63x
Warmington 12 350.88x
Cottingham 11 233.55x
Somerby In Grantham 11 186.13x
Market Harborough 10 137.55x
Paddington London 10 1.87x
St George In East 10 10.13x
Stilton 10 309.60x
West Derby 10 1.98x
Alverstoke 9 8.36x
Great Bowden 9 61.48x
Great Weldon 9 608.11x
Northampton Priory St 9 10.99x
Southwark St George Martyr 9 3.08x
Thorney 9 88.15x
Abbots Bromley 8 110.19x
Biggleswade 8 32.51x
Leicester St Mary 8 6.15x
Moulton 8 71.62x
Northampton St Sepulchre 8 11.52x
Plymouth St Andrew 8 3.44x
Southwark St Saviour 8 10.72x
Walsall Borough 8 21.04x
Whitwick 8 39.10x
Wisbech St Peter 8 17.35x
Woolwich 8 4.37x
Blaby 7 108.02x
Chesterfield 7 8.22x
Derby St Peter 7 9.67x
Ecclesfield 7 6.64x
Fotheringhay 7 625.00x
Hanley Castle 7 61.73x
Long Ditton 7 60.61x
Oundle 7 45.87x
Portsea 7 1.20x
Rugby 7 14.14x
Shawell 7 686.27x
Shoreditch London 7 1.11x
St Albans St Peter 7 20.73x
Stamford All Sts 7 53.89x
Walsall Foreign 7 2.77x
West Wycombe 7 58.82x
Wycombe 7 10.70x
Braintree 6 23.32x
Clerkenwell London 6 1.75x
Clipston 6 173.41x
Elton 6 148.88x
Farcett 6 169.49x
Fen Drayton 6 350.88x
Skircoat 6 10.58x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 103
John 91
James 55
George 47
Thomas 45
Charles 36
Henry 32
Joseph 31
Alfred 19
Arthur 19
Robert 16
Edward 15
Frederick 15
Walter 15
Samuel 14
Harry 12
Richard 10
Albert 8
Francis 6
Isaac 6
Tom 6
Ernest 5
Frank 5
Matthew 5
Philip 4
A. 3
Benjamin 3
Christopher 3
Job 3
Joe 3
Michael 3
Wm. 3
Allen 2
Andrew 2
David 2
Ephraim 2
Fred. 2
Frederic 2
Fredrick 2
H. 2
Jacob 2
Jesse 2
Josiah 2
Luke 2
Mark 2
Thos. 2
Edwd. 1
Edwd.Reed 1
Edwin 1
Zechuriah 1

FAQ

Spriggs surname: questions and answers

How common was the Spriggs surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,485 people were recorded with the Spriggs surname. That placed it at #2,815 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Spriggs surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,619 in 2016. That gives Spriggs a modern rank of #3,846.

What does the Spriggs surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to someone who made or sold twigs and small branches.

What does the Spriggs map show?

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