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Higgins Family History

Higgins Surname Meaning

Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó hUiginn ‘descendant of Uiginn’ a byname meaning ‘viking sea-rover’ (from Old Norse víkingr). Compare McGuigan.

English (Lancashire and Yorkshire): variant of Higgin itself either a Lancashire variant of Huggin (from a pet form of Hugh) or a variant of Hickin (from a pet form of Richard) with genitival or post-medieval excrescent -s.

See Hick and compare Higson.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Higgins family from?

You can see how Higgins families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Higgins family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Higgins families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 2,288 Higgins families living in Lancashire. This was about 18% of all the recorded Higgins's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Higgins families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Higgins surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Higgins ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Higgins. 10% of Higgins men worked as a General Labourer and 65% of Higgins women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Higgins were Bricklayer and Incapacitated.

View Census Data for Higgins | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    10%
  • Builders Labourer
    4%
  • Incapacitated
    3%
  • Bricklayer
    2%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    65%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    2%
  • Incapacitated
    2%

What Higgins family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 703,000 census records available for the last name Higgins. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Higgins census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Higgins

Passenger Lists

There are 96,000 immigration records available for the last name Higgins. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Higgins immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 110,000 military records available for the last name Higgins. For the veterans among your Higgins ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Higgins military records

You've only scratched the surface of Higgins family history

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What is the average Higgins lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Higgins life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Higgins in 1940 was 32, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Higgins

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Higgins ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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