2000
#15,421
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,745
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.65
Rare Last name
Higginson
A surname derived from the given name "Higgins", a diminutive of Hugh.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,097 Americans carry the last name Higginson. That puts it at #15,438 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 163,450 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Higginson surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Higginson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 163,450
Census rank
#15,438
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,829 bearers of the surname Higginson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15438th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Higginson, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Higginson
The surname Higginson is of English origin and dates back to the 13th century. It is a locational name derived from the place name Higginson, located near Whalley in Lancashire. The name is believed to have originated from the Old English words "hycgan" meaning to think or desire, and "tun" meaning an enclosure or settlement.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Higginson can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire from the year 1332, where it is listed as "Hicchenson". This suggests that the name was already established in the region by the 14th century.
The Higginson family was well-known in Lancashire during the medieval period, and several members of the family are mentioned in historical records. One notable figure was Edward Higginson, a merchant and landowner who lived in the 16th century and played a role in the English Reformation.
Another prominent individual with the Higginson surname was Francis Higginson, an English Puritan minister who was born in 1588. He was a leader of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and played a significant role in the early settlement of New England.
In the 17th century, the Higginson family had established themselves in various parts of England, including Shropshire and Berkshire. One notable member from this period was Nathaniel Higginson, a merchant and colonist who was born in 1652 and later settled in Salem, Massachusetts.
The Higginson name has also been associated with several notable writers and intellectuals throughout history. One such figure was Thomas Wentworth Higginson, an American author, abolitionist, and soldier who lived from 1823 to 1911. He was deeply involved in the anti-slavery movement and played a key role in the recruitment of African American soldiers during the American Civil War.
Another renowned individual with the Higginson surname was Mary Thacher Higginson, an American writer and activist born in 1844. She was a prominent figure in the women's suffrage movement and a vocal advocate for social reform and women's rights.
The Higginson name has also been carried by several individuals in the fields of education and academia. One notable example is Edward Higginson, an English mathematician and astronomer who lived from 1670 to 1735 and made significant contributions to the development of calculus.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Higginson
Among Census respondents with the surname Higginson, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Higginson bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Higginson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.1% · 1,557
- Hispanic or Latino5.9% · 107
- Two or more races4.5% · 83
- Black or African American3.1% · 57
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Higginson
Higginson appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#15,402
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,903
+158 bearers (+9.1%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Up 19 places
2020
#15,438
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,829
-74 bearers (-3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Down 36 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,421 | 1,745 | 0.65 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,402 | 1,903 | 0.65 | +158 bearers (+9.1%) | Up 19 places |
| 2020 | #15,438 | 1,829 | 0.61 | -74 bearers (-3.9%) | Down 36 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Higginson surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #15,402 | #15,438 | -0.2% |
| Count | 1,903 | 1,829 | -3.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.65 | 0.61 | -5.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Higginson bearers went from 1,903 to 1,829 (-3.9% change). The surname moved down 36 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,402 to #15,438.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Higginson
FAQ
Higginson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Higginson?
Name Census estimates that about 2,097 living Americans carry the surname Higginson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 163,450 residents.
How common is Higginson?
Higginson ranks #15,438 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,829 people with the surname Higginson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,097), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.61 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Higginson.
Has Higginson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Higginson went from 1,903 recorded bearers to 1,829. That is a decrease of 74 (-3.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #15,402 to #15,438.
What does the Census say about the background of Higginson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Higginson, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Higginson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.1% (1,557 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Higginson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.1%), Hispanic (5.9%), Two or More Races (4.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Higginson (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Higginson mean?
A surname derived from the given name "Higgins", a diminutive of Hugh. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Higginson (0.61 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Higginson?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.