NameCensus.

UK surname

Vigus

A surname derived from an archaic French word referring to a vinegrower or vine cultivator.

In the 1881 census there were 99 people recorded with the Vigus surname, ranking it #19,877 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 300, ranked #14,738, up from #19,877 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Lambeth and Ware (Ware). Hertford St John, Hertford All Saints. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Hertfordshire, Cornwall and Lichfield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Vigus is 355 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 203.0%.

1881 census count

99

Ranked #19,877

Modern count

300

2016, ranked #14,738

Peak year

1999

355 bearers

Map years

7

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Vigus had 99 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,877 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 300 in 2016, ranked #14,738.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 209 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Vigus surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Vigus surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Vigus 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 118 #15,362
1861 historical 85 #22,922
1881 historical 99 #19,877
1891 historical 155 #17,920
1901 historical 185 #15,892
1911 historical 209 #14,557
1997 modern 345 #12,291
1998 modern 347 #12,607
1999 modern 355 #12,478
2000 modern 355 #12,430
2001 modern 345 #12,504
2002 modern 347 #12,699
2003 modern 355 #12,285
2004 modern 339 #12,744
2005 modern 330 #12,939
2006 modern 330 #13,021
2007 modern 340 #12,872
2008 modern 338 #13,044
2009 modern 344 #13,138
2010 modern 346 #13,352
2011 modern 330 #13,664
2012 modern 325 #13,720
2013 modern 328 #13,842
2014 modern 310 #14,499
2015 modern 309 #14,430
2016 modern 300 #14,738

Geography

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Where Vigus' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Lambeth, Ware (Ware). Hertford St John, Hertford All Saints and Kenwyn, Tregavethan. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Hertfordshire, Cornwall and Lichfield. 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 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Lambeth London (South Districts)
4 Ware (Ware). Hertford St John, Hertford All Saints Hertfordshire
5 Kenwyn, Tregavethan Cornwall

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Hertfordshire 010 East Hertfordshire
2 Cornwall 057 Cornwall
3 East Hertfordshire 014 East Hertfordshire
4 Lichfield 004 Lichfield
5 Cornwall 029 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Vigus

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Vigus

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

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Vigus is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Vigus is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Vigus falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Vigus

The surname Vigus is of English origin and dates back to the late medieval period. It is believed to have originated from the Old English word 'wic', meaning a village or dwelling place, combined with a diminutive suffix. This suggests that the name was initially given to someone who lived in a small village or hamlet.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the Feet of Fines for Essex, dated 1285, which refers to a Richard de Wykes. Other early variations of the spelling include Wygges, Wiggs, and Wighes, as seen in various records from the 13th and 14th centuries.

The Vigus surname is particularly associated with the county of Essex, where it is thought to have originated. Some early bearers of the name were likely from the village of Wick, near Colchester, or from other places with similar names derived from the Old English 'wic'.

In the 16th century, notable individuals with the surname included John Vigus, a merchant from London who was born around 1520. Another record from 1582 mentions a William Vigus, who was a landowner in the parish of Great Wigborough, Essex.

Moving into the 17th century, a Richard Vigus was listed as a freeman of the City of London in 1634. Around the same time, a Thomas Vigus was recorded as a resident of the village of Lambourne, Essex, in 1638.

One of the most prominent figures with the Vigus surname was Sir Nicholas Vigors (1785-1840), an Irish writer and zoologist. Although the spelling of his surname differed slightly, he was recognized for his contributions to the study of birds and his work as a co-founder of the Zoological Society of London.

Another notable individual was William Vigus (1783-1854), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a rear admiral in the Royal Navy.

While the Vigus surname is not among the most common in England, it has a long and fascinating history, tracing its roots back to the small villages and hamlets of medieval Essex.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Vigus families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Vigus 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. Cornwall leads with 51 Vigus' recorded in 1881 and an index of 46.18x.

County Total Index
Cornwall 51 46.18x
Hertfordshire 20 29.74x
Surrey 10 2.10x
Devon 8 3.94x
Warwickshire 5 2.03x
Middlesex 3 0.31x
Wiltshire 2 2.32x
Royal Navy 1 8.61x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kenwyn in Cornwall leads with 18 Vigus' recorded in 1881 and an index of 622.84x.

Place Total Index
Kenwyn 18 622.84x
Ware 14 725.39x
Antony 13 1214.95x
St Allen 10 5263.16x
Redruth 6 192.31x
Lambeth 5 5.88x
Aston 4 5.90x
Hertford St John 4 400.00x
Kea 4 487.80x
Stoke Damerel 4 28.15x
Southwark Christchurch 3 65.65x
Crediton 2 104.17x
Exeter St Sidwell 2 43.01x
Fisherton Anger 2 125.00x
Bethnal Green London 1 2.36x
Birmingham 1 1.22x
Great Amwell 1 149.25x
Kensington London 1 1.84x
Royal Navy 1 10.06x
Sacombe 1 1111.11x
Twickenham 1 23.92x
Weybridge 1 98.04x
Woking 1 34.97x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Sarah 5
Elizabeth 4
Ann 3
Annie 2
Eliza 2
Emily 2
Emma 2
Grace 2
Jane 2
Alice 1
Bessie 1
Dianna 1
Elizth. 1
Ellen 1
Florence 1
Harriet 1
Hester 1
Julia 1
Lavinia 1
Matilda 1
Maud 1
Rose 1
Rosina 1
Sophie 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 14
John 9
James 5
Richard 5
George 4
Robert 4
Francis 3
Charles 2
Thomas 2
Edward 1
Fred 1
Joel 1
Nicholas 1
Sidney 1
Walter 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Vigus surname: questions and answers

How common was the Vigus surname in 1881?

In 1881, 99 people were recorded with the Vigus surname. That placed it at #19,877 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Vigus surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 300 in 2016. That gives Vigus a modern rank of #14,738.

What does the Vigus surname mean?

A surname derived from an archaic French word referring to a vinegrower or vine cultivator.

What does the Vigus map show?

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