NameCensus.

UK surname

Twigg

A surname referring to someone who lived near or worked with twigs, reeds, or willows.

In the 1881 census there were 2,092 people recorded with the Twigg surname, ranking it #2,113 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,848, ranked #2,362, down from #2,113 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Sheffield and Birmingham Town: Birmingham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North East Derbyshire, Halton and Chesterfield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Twigg is 3,100 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 36.1%.

1881 census count

2,092

Ranked #2,113

Modern count

2,848

2016, ranked #2,362

Peak year

1998

3,100 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Twigg had 2,092 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,113 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,848 in 2016, ranked #2,362.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,917 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Twigg surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Twigg surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Twigg 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 1,462 #1,964
1861 historical 1,310 #2,179
1881 historical 2,092 #2,113
1891 historical 2,199 #2,127
1901 historical 2,712 #2,049
1911 historical 2,917 #1,787
1997 modern 2,920 #2,215
1998 modern 3,100 #2,169
1999 modern 3,087 #2,194
2000 modern 3,048 #2,207
2001 modern 2,982 #2,210
2002 modern 3,021 #2,228
2003 modern 2,992 #2,197
2004 modern 3,006 #2,179
2005 modern 2,908 #2,227
2006 modern 2,889 #2,243
2007 modern 2,923 #2,241
2008 modern 2,915 #2,262
2009 modern 2,988 #2,256
2010 modern 3,020 #2,290
2011 modern 3,019 #2,257
2012 modern 2,888 #2,315
2013 modern 2,910 #2,334
2014 modern 2,924 #2,333
2015 modern 2,891 #2,337
2016 modern 2,848 #2,362

Geography

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Where Twiggs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Sheffield, Birmingham Town: Birmingham and Birmingham Town: Aston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North East Derbyshire, Halton, Chesterfield and East Lindsey. 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 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
3 London parishes London 2
4 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire
5 Birmingham Town: Aston Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North East Derbyshire 009 North East Derbyshire
2 Halton 003 Halton
3 Chesterfield 012 Chesterfield
4 East Lindsey 017 East Lindsey
5 Halton 006 Halton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Twigg

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Twigg

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Twigg is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Twigg 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

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

Meaning and origin of Twigg

The surname Twigg has its origins in England, emerging in the 12th century as a descriptive name for someone who lived near a forked or twisted tree branch. It is derived from the Old English word "twigg," meaning a forked branch or a flexible twig.

The earliest known record of the name dates back to the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1195, where a person named Osbert Twigg is mentioned. Another early reference is found in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1273, which mentions a William Twyg.

During the Middle Ages, the name was primarily concentrated in the counties of Lancashire, Cheshire, and Staffordshire, where it was closely associated with the rural landscape and agricultural communities. The name was often spelled in various ways, including Twyg, Twig, and Twigge, reflecting the regional dialects of the time.

One notable bearer of the name was John Twigg, a 16th-century English landowner and yeoman from Cheshire, who was recorded in the Cheshire Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1541. Another was Thomas Twigg, born in 1587 in Nantwich, Cheshire, who was a prominent merchant and alderman in the city.

In the 17th century, the name appeared in the records of the Hearth Tax of Cheshire in 1664, where several families with the surname Twigg were listed as taxpayers. During this period, the name also spread to other parts of England, including Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Twigg in North America dates back to the late 17th century, when John Twigg, born in 1676 in Cheshire, England, immigrated to Virginia and settled in what is now Twigg County, Georgia.

Another notable figure was Sir John Twigg, born in 1819 in Lancashire, who was a British military officer and served in the Crimean War. He was awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest military honor in the British Empire, for his bravery during the Battle of Inkerman in 1854.

Other notable individuals with the surname Twigg include William Twigg, a 19th-century English cricketer who played for Lancashire County Cricket Club, and John Twigg, a 20th-century British actor who appeared in several films and television shows.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Twigg families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Twigg 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. Yorkshire leads with 329 Twiggs recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.62x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 329 1.62x
Derbyshire 308 9.63x
Staffordshire 256 3.71x
Lancashire 177 0.73x
Lincolnshire 173 5.29x
Warwickshire 106 2.06x
Worcestershire 88 3.30x
Leicestershire 82 3.62x
Middlesex 81 0.40x
Kent 53 0.76x
Cheshire 47 1.04x
Nottinghamshire 47 1.71x
Pembrokeshire 43 6.62x
Surrey 31 0.31x
Cumberland 26 1.48x
Renfrewshire 25 1.58x
Durham 21 0.35x
Sussex 20 0.58x
Essex 18 0.45x
Gloucestershire 18 0.45x
Buckinghamshire 17 1.38x
Lanarkshire 14 0.21x
Devon 13 0.31x
Glamorgan 12 0.34x
Hertfordshire 11 0.78x
Caernarfonshire 9 1.09x
Dunbartonshire 8 1.46x
Norfolk 8 0.25x
Monmouthshire 7 0.47x
Aberdeenshire 6 0.32x
Suffolk 6 0.24x
Northamptonshire 5 0.26x
Bedfordshire 4 0.38x
Carmarthenshire 4 0.46x
Denbighshire 4 0.52x
Ayrshire 3 0.20x
Somerset 3 0.09x
Isle of Man 2 0.53x
Midlothian 2 0.07x
Angus 1 0.05x
Berkshire 1 0.07x
Cardiganshire 1 0.20x
Dorset 1 0.07x
Hampshire 1 0.02x
Royal Navy 1 0.41x
Shropshire 1 0.06x
Westmorland 1 0.22x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sheffield in Yorkshire leads with 52 Twiggs recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.07x.

Place Total Index
Sheffield 52 8.07x
Stoke Upon Trent 50 6.84x
Aston 49 3.45x
Ecclesall Bierlow 43 10.44x
Birmingham 42 2.45x
Kimberworth 35 31.14x
Pershore Holy Cross 32 187.13x
Brightside Bierlow 31 7.80x
Ripley 24 60.68x
Upper Hallam 23 130.76x
Arlecdon 22 47.02x
Bradfield 22 28.18x
Minster In Sheppey 22 19.04x
Widnes 20 11.43x
Matlock 19 44.23x
Pembroke St Mary 18 21.52x
Chorlton On Medlock 17 4.41x
Macclesfield 16 7.98x
Manchester 16 1.47x
West Ham 16 1.80x
Brampton 15 33.54x
Heage 15 88.60x
Nailstone 15 290.70x
Salford 15 2.10x
Spondon 15 121.85x
Brighton 14 2.01x
Burton Upon Trent 14 8.67x
Norton 14 53.09x
South Reston 14 843.37x
Tansley 14 295.36x
Bilston 13 9.72x
Bury 13 4.69x
Wigtoft 13 274.84x
Youlgreave 13 140.39x
Burslem 12 6.07x
Eyam 12 134.38x
Hunslet 12 3.80x
Longford 12 410.96x
Measham 12 102.04x
Rugeley 12 24.24x
St Peterat Gowts Lincoln 12 26.11x
Wolverhampton 12 2.26x
Eckington 11 14.15x
Elmley Lovett 11 452.67x
Hulme 11 2.17x
Ibstock 11 66.79x
Islington London 11 0.56x
St Pancras London 11 0.67x
Sutton St Mary 11 35.60x
Caverswall 10 27.89x
Rawmarsh 10 13.98x
Spotland 10 3.71x
Stockport 10 4.31x
Abbey 9 3.72x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 9 4.77x
Authorpe 9 810.81x
Battersea 9 1.20x
Canterbury St Paul 9 71.94x
Hemel Hempstead 9 14.18x
Hetton Le Hole 9 11.68x
Litchurch 9 6.99x
Marsworth 9 281.25x
Nether Hallam 9 3.28x
Nottingham St Mary 9 1.26x
Runcorn 9 8.65x
Basford 8 6.30x
Belper 8 12.90x
Glasgow 8 0.68x
Hoyland Swaine 8 152.38x
Lenton 8 12.33x
Manor Bier 8 181.41x
Norton Juxta Twycross 8 289.86x
Nottingham St Nicholas 8 21.32x
Swaby 8 275.86x
Tutbury 8 47.56x
Wetton 8 349.35x
Accrington 7 3.18x
Cardross 7 10.62x
Gradley 7 54.31x
Westoe 7 2.03x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 143
John 133
George 83
Thomas 83
Joseph 58
James 52
Charles 41
Henry 33
Samuel 26
Arthur 22
Richard 20
Benjamin 17
Alfred 16
Albert 15
Walter 15
Isaac 14
Frederick 13
Francis 11
Herbert 11
Edward 10
David 9
Ernest 8
Robert 8
Edwin 7
Harry 7
Wm. 6
Fred 5
Ralph 5
Earnest 4
Geo. 4
Jonathan 4
Tom 4
Willm. 4
Daniel 3
Frank 3
Thos. 3
Edgar 2
Enoch 2
Frederic 2
Fredric 2
Fredrick 2
Jabez 2
Jno. 2
Josiah 2
Leonard 2
Patrick 2
Sidney 2
Coventry 1
Esther 1
Wm.John 1

FAQ

Twigg surname: questions and answers

How common was the Twigg surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,092 people were recorded with the Twigg surname. That placed it at #2,113 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Twigg surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,848 in 2016. That gives Twigg a modern rank of #2,362.

What does the Twigg surname mean?

A surname referring to someone who lived near or worked with twigs, reeds, or willows.

What does the Twigg map show?

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