NameCensus.

UK surname

Triggs

Derived from a place name meaning "trig point," referring to a triangulation station used in surveying.

In the 1881 census there were 1,010 people recorded with the Triggs surname, ranking it #3,876 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,103, ranked #5,330, down from #3,876 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Ringmore and Modbury, Bigbury, Ermington, Kingston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cotswold, East Hampshire and Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Triggs is 1,398 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 9.2%.

1881 census count

1,010

Ranked #3,876

Modern count

1,103

2016, ranked #5,330

Peak year

1911

1,398 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Triggs had 1,010 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,876 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,103 in 2016, ranked #5,330.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,398 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Triggs surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Triggs surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Triggs 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 686 #3,793
1861 historical 619 #4,312
1881 historical 1,010 #3,876
1891 historical 1,033 #4,040
1901 historical 1,273 #3,899
1911 historical 1,398 #3,453
1997 modern 1,179 #4,785
1998 modern 1,229 #4,784
1999 modern 1,205 #4,914
2000 modern 1,192 #4,935
2001 modern 1,177 #4,893
2002 modern 1,203 #4,894
2003 modern 1,177 #4,886
2004 modern 1,140 #5,035
2005 modern 1,104 #5,111
2006 modern 1,118 #5,066
2007 modern 1,104 #5,172
2008 modern 1,110 #5,180
2009 modern 1,156 #5,113
2010 modern 1,181 #5,109
2011 modern 1,164 #5,117
2012 modern 1,142 #5,114
2013 modern 1,160 #5,139
2014 modern 1,140 #5,237
2015 modern 1,122 #5,264
2016 modern 1,103 #5,330

Geography

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Where Triggs' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Ringmore, Modbury, Bigbury, Ermington, Kingston and Chichester St Peter the Great. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cotswold, East Hampshire, Cornwall and Huntingdonshire. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Ringmore Devon
3 Modbury, Bigbury, Ermington, Kingston Devon
4 Chichester St Peter the Great Sussex
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cotswold 011 Cotswold
2 East Hampshire 012 East Hampshire
3 Cornwall 042 Cornwall
4 Cornwall 065 Cornwall
5 Huntingdonshire 011 Huntingdonshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Triggs

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Triggs

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

Triggs 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

Triggs falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Triggs

The surname Triggs is believed to have originated in England, with its earliest known use dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "tricce," meaning "trickster" or "deceiver." In some records, the name is also spelled as "Trigge" or "Trig."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Triggs can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from the year 1273, where a person named Roger Trigg is mentioned. The name is also present in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, listing a William Trigge.

The Triggs surname is closely associated with several place names in England, such as Trigg Minor in Cornwall and Triggehorne in Dorset. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the name Triggs was John Triggs, a member of the Company of Merchant Adventurers in York, who was born around 1520 and died in 1587. Another prominent individual was Sir William Triggs, a landowner and magistrate from Hertfordshire, who lived from 1598 to 1672.

During the 17th century, the Triggs surname gained prominence in the English county of Devon. One of the most notable figures from this period was Sir Thomas Triggs, a wealthy merchant and politician who served as the Mayor of Plymouth in 1658. He was born in 1610 and died in 1685.

In the 18th century, the name Triggs appeared in various records, including the parish registers of St. Mary's Church in Nottingham, where a John Triggs was recorded as having been baptized in 1722. Additionally, a Richard Triggs, born in 1745, was a prominent figure in the textile industry in Yorkshire.

Another notable individual with the surname Triggs was Sir Henry Triggs, a military officer and explorer who served in the British East India Company during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He was born in 1773 and is known for his expeditions and surveys in India and the surrounding regions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Triggs families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Triggs 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. Hampshire leads with 215 Triggs' recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.54x.

County Total Index
Hampshire 215 10.54x
Middlesex 144 1.45x
Cornwall 137 12.16x
Devon 135 6.52x
Sussex 111 6.62x
Surrey 68 1.40x
Kent 31 0.91x
Glamorgan 23 1.33x
Gloucestershire 21 1.08x
Essex 19 0.97x
Berkshire 16 2.14x
Lancashire 16 0.14x
Cheshire 13 0.59x
Suffolk 11 0.91x
Cumberland 10 1.17x
Royal Navy 9 7.59x
Durham 8 0.27x
Northumberland 7 0.47x
Bedfordshire 6 1.16x
Somerset 5 0.31x
Yorkshire 5 0.05x
Lanarkshire 3 0.09x
Staffordshire 3 0.09x
Dorset 2 0.31x
Hertfordshire 1 0.15x
Midlothian 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Portsea in Hampshire leads with 117 Triggs' recorded in 1881 and an index of 29.27x.

Place Total Index
Portsea 117 29.27x
Ringmore 37 4352.94x
Islington London 36 3.73x
Kingston 25 1562.50x
St Marylebone London 22 4.14x
Subdeanery 20 157.11x
Cury 19 1283.78x
Portsmouth 18 38.33x
Southampton St Mary 17 13.26x
Brighton 14 4.14x
Deptford St Paul 14 5.35x
Newington 14 3.81x
St Pancras London 13 1.62x
Lancing 12 260.30x
Plymouth St Andrew 12 7.52x
Stoke Damerel 12 8.28x
Tedburn St Mary 12 550.46x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 11 5.99x
Chichester St Peter 11 814.81x
Modbury 11 207.94x
Egremont 10 48.95x
Lowestoft 10 17.47x
Madron Penzance 10 24.41x
Mawgan In Meneage 10 341.30x
Paul 10 48.85x
South Bersted 10 70.08x
Stoke 10 43.71x
Uny Lelant 10 164.20x
Clewer 9 29.41x
Hammersmith London 9 3.67x
Liskeard 9 47.75x
Royal Navy 9 8.88x
Bishopwearmouth 8 3.15x
Broadwater 8 20.79x
Camberwell 8 1.26x
Camborne 8 17.23x
Gwennap 8 37.65x
Steep 8 392.16x
West Ham 8 1.84x
Bow London 7 5.53x
Dartmouth St Petrox 7 234.11x
Forest Gate 7 257.35x
Hackney London 7 1.25x
Lanreath 7 364.58x
Lewisham 7 3.87x
Limehouse London 7 6.41x
Mile End Old Town 7 4.46x
Tranmere 7 8.67x
Aberdare 6 5.05x
Alverstoke 6 8.13x
Battersea 6 1.64x
Bristol St James St Paul 6 9.22x
Clapham 6 4.82x
Hampstead London 6 3.87x
Headley 6 108.30x
Heaton Norris 6 8.93x
Lambeth 6 0.69x
Llandaff 6 10.41x
Oving 6 105.82x
Plymouth Charles The 6 6.58x
Shoreditch London 6 1.39x
St Stephen In Brannel 6 58.37x
Bedminster 5 3.32x
Chawton 5 310.56x
Holbeton 5 131.93x
Hound 5 36.13x
Liscard 5 12.64x
Millbrook 5 9.74x
New Fishbourne 5 462.96x
Poplar London 5 2.66x
Roath 5 6.35x
St Ives 5 22.69x
West Derby 5 1.45x
Westgate 5 5.45x
Whitechapel London 5 5.10x
Wickham 5 133.33x
Wortley In Bramley 5 6.40x
Yapton 5 264.55x
Rumbolds Wyke 4 129.87x
Woolwich 4 3.19x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 65
John 51
George 41
James 30
Thomas 27
Henry 25
Charles 21
Alfred 17
Edward 15
Richard 14
Arthur 12
Frederick 12
Ernest 10
Robert 10
Edwin 8
Francis 8
Herbert 8
Albert 7
Joseph 7
Walter 7
Frank 6
Reuben 6
Samuel 6
Philip 5
Harry 4
Henery 4
Sidney 4
David 3
Edmund 3
Eli 3
Horace 3
Alexander 2
Benjamin 2
Clement 2
Mark 2
Mathew 2
Phillip 2
Thos. 2
Wm. 2
Woodman 2
Archie 1
Arnold 1
Bernard 1
Christopher 1
Ethelbert 1
Fred 1
Frederic 1
Isaac 1
Jas. 1
Jesse 1

FAQ

Triggs surname: questions and answers

How common was the Triggs surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,010 people were recorded with the Triggs surname. That placed it at #3,876 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Triggs surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,103 in 2016. That gives Triggs a modern rank of #5,330.

What does the Triggs surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "trig point," referring to a triangulation station used in surveying.

What does the Triggs map show?

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