NameCensus.

UK surname

Twigger

An English surname derived from an occupational name for a wood gatherer or cutter.

In the 1881 census there were 364 people recorded with the Twigger surname, ranking it #8,525 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 650, ranked #8,181, up from #8,525 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bedworth, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and Chilvers Coton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Nuneaton and Bedworth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Twigger is 683 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 78.6%.

1881 census count

364

Ranked #8,525

Modern count

650

2016, ranked #8,181

Peak year

1998

683 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Twigger had 364 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,525 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 650 in 2016, ranked #8,181.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 536 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Twigger surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Twigger surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Twigger 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 179 #11,346
1861 historical 241 #10,192
1881 historical 364 #8,525
1891 historical 403 #8,822
1901 historical 495 #8,111
1911 historical 536 #7,432
1997 modern 652 #7,641
1998 modern 683 #7,621
1999 modern 681 #7,677
2000 modern 669 #7,758
2001 modern 648 #7,816
2002 modern 672 #7,760
2003 modern 680 #7,568
2004 modern 654 #7,796
2005 modern 631 #7,964
2006 modern 638 #7,917
2007 modern 643 #7,926
2008 modern 648 #7,930
2009 modern 660 #7,978
2010 modern 673 #8,024
2011 modern 667 #7,995
2012 modern 661 #7,966
2013 modern 680 #7,917
2014 modern 674 #8,018
2015 modern 653 #8,165
2016 modern 650 #8,181

Geography

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Where Twiggers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bedworth, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Chilvers Coton, Nottingham St Mary 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 Nuneaton and Bedworth. 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 Bedworth Warwickshire
2 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
3 Chilvers Coton Warwickshire
4 Nottingham St Mary Nottinghamshire
5 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Nuneaton and Bedworth 013 Nuneaton and Bedworth
2 Nuneaton and Bedworth 016 Nuneaton and Bedworth
3 Nuneaton and Bedworth 012 Nuneaton and Bedworth
4 Nuneaton and Bedworth 002 Nuneaton and Bedworth
5 Nuneaton and Bedworth 008 Nuneaton and Bedworth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Twigger

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Twigger

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

Twigger 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

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

Meaning and origin of Twigger

The surname Twigger originated in England during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "twiccian," which means "to pluck" or "to twitch." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who made a living by gathering twigs or small branches, perhaps for use as kindling or in basket-weaving.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Twigger can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, dating back to 1327. Here, a certain John Twygger is mentioned as a taxpayer. The variation in spelling, with a "y" instead of an "i," was common in those times.

In the 15th century, the Twigger name appeared in various records across different parts of England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Staffordshire. This suggests that the family had spread across multiple regions by that point.

During the 16th century, the Twigger surname can be found in the Parish Registers of Whitchurch, Shropshire, where a Thomas Twigger was recorded in 1582. Around the same time, a John Twigger was mentioned in the Wills and Inventories of Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, in 1592.

One notable individual with the Twigger surname was William Twigger, a Puritan minister who lived in the 17th century. Born in 1609 in Gloucestershire, he served as the vicar of Thornbury and was later ejected from his living during the English Civil War for his religious beliefs.

In the 18th century, the Twigger name appeared in the land tax records of Staffordshire, where a Thomas Twigger was listed as a landowner in 1782. During the same period, a John Twigger was recorded as a freeman of the City of London in 1774.

Another prominent figure with the Twigger surname was Robert Twigger, a British author and explorer born in 1976. He is best known for his books on travel and adventure, such as "Angry White Pyjamas" and "Lost Explorers."

Overall, the Twigger surname has a long and varied history in England, dating back to the medieval period and spanning various regions of the country. While its origins may have been humble, referring to those who gathered twigs, the name has been carried by individuals from different walks of life over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Twigger families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Twigger 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. Warwickshire leads with 199 Twiggers recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.35x.

County Total Index
Warwickshire 199 22.35x
Nottinghamshire 61 12.82x
Leicestershire 29 7.41x
Yorkshire 24 0.69x
Middlesex 17 0.48x
Staffordshire 9 0.76x
Shropshire 6 1.97x
Kent 4 0.33x
Monmouthshire 4 1.57x
Worcestershire 4 0.87x
Sussex 2 0.34x
Gloucestershire 1 0.14x
Hampshire 1 0.14x
Lancashire 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bedworth in Warwickshire leads with 71 Twiggers recorded in 1881 and an index of 1092.31x.

Place Total Index
Bedworth 71 1092.31x
Coventry St Michael 33 115.34x
Nottingham St Mary 29 23.56x
Radford 18 74.44x
Chilvers Coton 14 382.51x
Nuneaton 14 135.66x
Normanton 13 123.69x
Foleshill 12 128.07x
Coventry Holy Trinity 11 41.37x
Bethnal Green London 10 6.52x
Hinckley 10 107.64x
Darlaston 9 54.64x
Basford 8 36.46x
Bubbenhall 7 2187.50x
Aston 6 2.45x
Bulkington 6 312.50x
Eastwood 6 140.85x
Leicester St Margaret 6 6.28x
Mancetter 6 234.38x
Monks Kirby 6 306.12x
Wombridge 6 159.15x
Brinsworth 5 308.64x
Wales 5 181.16x
Abergavenny 4 41.84x
Leicester St Mary 4 12.65x
Thringstone 4 266.67x
Tonbridge 4 9.21x
Burbage 3 147.06x
Claines 3 23.70x
Rugby 3 24.90x
Bromley London 2 2.57x
Hillmorton 2 125.79x
Marton 2 444.44x
Willesden 2 6.01x
Wolvey 2 210.53x
Aylestone 1 32.36x
Birmingham 1 0.34x
Brandon And Bretford 1 188.68x
Broadwater 1 7.32x
Cheltenham 1 1.87x
Doncaster 1 3.91x
Exhall 1 74.07x
Hornsey 1 2.24x
Hove 1 3.83x
Islington London 1 0.29x
Kensington London 1 0.51x
Pendleton In Salford 1 2.00x
Portsea 1 0.71x
Stoney Stanton 1 83.33x
Willenhall 1 666.67x
Worcester St Peter 1 11.45x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 29
William 28
Thomas 23
Joseph 11
George 9
Samuel 7
Arthur 6
James 6
Henry 5
Thos. 5
Harry 4
Frederick 3
Jonathan 3
Amos 2
Charles 2
Edward 2
Elijah 2
Herbert 2
Levi 2
Richard 2
Albert 1
Allan 1
Ambrose 1
Bengamin 1
Charlie 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Eusebius 1
Geo. 1
Isaiah 1
Jonathon 1
Noah 1
Peter 1
Tom 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Twigger surname: questions and answers

How common was the Twigger surname in 1881?

In 1881, 364 people were recorded with the Twigger surname. That placed it at #8,525 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Twigger surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 650 in 2016. That gives Twigger a modern rank of #8,181.

What does the Twigger surname mean?

An English surname derived from an occupational name for a wood gatherer or cutter.

What does the Twigger map show?

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