NameCensus.

UK surname

Wiggs

An English occupational surname for a maker or seller of wigs or wool.

In the 1881 census there were 203 people recorded with the Wiggs surname, ranking it #12,717 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 291, ranked #15,062, down from #12,717 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Watford and St Leonard Bromley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Central Bedfordshire, Broxbourne and Bury.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wiggs is 326 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 43.3%.

1881 census count

203

Ranked #12,717

Modern count

291

2016, ranked #15,062

Peak year

1911

326 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wiggs had 203 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,717 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 291 in 2016, ranked #15,062.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 326 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Outer Suburbs.

Wiggs surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wiggs surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wiggs 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 166 #11,986
1861 historical 173 #13,553
1881 historical 203 #12,717
1891 historical 253 #12,645
1901 historical 273 #12,409
1911 historical 326 #10,763
1997 modern 293 #13,736
1998 modern 290 #14,179
1999 modern 294 #14,140
2000 modern 306 #13,742
2001 modern 305 #13,594
2002 modern 304 #13,887
2003 modern 283 #14,368
2004 modern 267 #15,038
2005 modern 267 #14,954
2006 modern 267 #15,042
2007 modern 256 #15,647
2008 modern 253 #15,941
2009 modern 257 #16,099
2010 modern 261 #16,294
2011 modern 269 #15,800
2012 modern 271 #15,628
2013 modern 284 #15,358
2014 modern 289 #15,251
2015 modern 291 #15,078
2016 modern 291 #15,062

Geography

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Where Wiggs' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Watford, St Leonard Bromley, Lambeth and Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Central Bedfordshire, Broxbourne, Bury and Lincoln. 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 Watford Hertfordshire
3 St Leonard Bromley London (East Districts)
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory Northamptonshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Central Bedfordshire 005 Central Bedfordshire
2 Broxbourne 013 Broxbourne
3 Bury 014 Bury
4 Broxbourne 005 Broxbourne
5 Lincoln 011 Lincoln

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wiggs

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wiggs

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Wiggs, 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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Outer Suburbs

Nationally, the Wiggs surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Outer Suburbs, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Wiggs household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods are found on the outer edges of many towns and cities. Many residents were born outside the UK. Indian ethnic group representation is high. There are high numbers of families with dependent children aged 5 to 14. Incidences of disability and of provision of unpaid care are low. Neighbourhoods provide a mix of detached housing and flats, and terraced housing is not uncommon. Levels of overcrowding are low and homeownership rates are high. Professional and managerial occupations are prevalent: unemployment is low and education to degree level is the norm.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Wiggs 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

Wiggs is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Wiggs falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Wiggs is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Wiggs

The surname Wiggs is believed to have originated in England during the Anglo-Saxon period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "wig" or "wic," meaning a dwelling or a village. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in a particular village or settlement.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Wiggs can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land and property in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a landowner named "Wigga" in Lincolnshire.

During the Middle Ages, the name appeared in various historical documents and manuscripts with slight variations in spelling, such as "Wigge," "Wygge," and "Wygges." These variations were common due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions at the time.

In the 13th century, there are records of a person named John Wiggs who held land in Somerset, England. Another notable individual was Sir Thomas Wiggs, a member of the English gentry who lived in the 15th century and served as a member of the Parliament of England.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Wiggs surname was Robert Wiggs, born in 1520 in Gloucestershire, England. He was a prominent merchant and landowner during the Tudor period.

In the 17th century, the name Wiggs was also found in the parish records of several villages in Oxfordshire, such as Bampton and Charlbury, suggesting that the name had spread to different parts of England.

During the 18th century, a notable figure with the Wiggs surname was Sir William Wiggs, a British military officer who served in the American Revolutionary War. He was born in 1732 and played a significant role in several battles against the American colonists.

Another individual of note was Elizabeth Wiggs, an English author and poet who lived from 1765 to 1842. She published several works of poetry and prose that were popular during her lifetime.

Throughout the 19th century, the Wiggs surname continued to be present in various parts of England, as well as in the United States, where it was carried by English immigrants who settled in different regions of the country.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Wiggs families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wiggs 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. Middlesex leads with 70 Wiggs' recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.52x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 70 3.52x
Surrey 48 4.95x
Hertfordshire 34 24.79x
Essex 16 4.07x
Warwickshire 10 1.99x
Cambridgeshire 8 6.35x
Norfolk 6 1.96x
Northamptonshire 5 2.67x
Kent 3 0.44x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.75x
Hampshire 1 0.25x
Royal Navy 1 4.22x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 20 Wiggs' recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.53x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 20 11.53x
Bromley London 19 43.40x
Camberwell 17 13.38x
Watford 15 141.11x
Edmonton 12 74.86x
Enfield 9 68.91x
Chatteris 8 248.45x
Waltham Holy Cross 8 217.98x
Claverdon 7 1794.87x
Newington 7 9.52x
St Ippollitts 6 869.57x
Walthamstow 6 42.43x
Filby 5 1250.00x
Bethnal Green London 4 4.63x
St Marylebone London 4 3.77x
St Pancras London 4 2.50x
Tewin 4 1111.11x
Hackney London 3 2.69x
Hornsey 3 11.92x
Northampton Priory St 3 26.71x
Old Artillery Ground 3 175.44x
St Albans St Stephen 3 250.00x
Welwyn 3 252.10x
Hitchin 2 32.31x
Horsemonden 2 202.02x
Nottingham St Mary 2 2.88x
Ratcliffe London 2 18.20x
Warwick St Mary 2 45.87x
West Ham 2 2.31x
Bermondsey 1 1.69x
Bow London 1 3.95x
Chelsea London 1 1.67x
Cliffe 1 65.36x
Friern Barnet 1 22.83x
Fulham London 1 3.47x
Great Yarmouth 1 3.95x
Guildford St Nicholas 1 58.48x
Islington London 1 0.52x
Leamington Priors 1 8.10x
Mile End Old Town 1 3.18x
North Mimms 1 116.28x
Northampton All Sts 1 15.75x
Northampton St Peter 1 87.72x
Richmond 1 7.36x
Royal Navy 1 4.93x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 2.50x
St Luke London 1 3.13x
Ventnor 1 25.77x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Wiggs surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wiggs surname in 1881?

In 1881, 203 people were recorded with the Wiggs surname. That placed it at #12,717 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wiggs surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 291 in 2016. That gives Wiggs a modern rank of #15,062.

What does the Wiggs surname mean?

An English occupational surname for a maker or seller of wigs or wool.

What does the Wiggs map show?

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