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Higgins History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Higgins History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

There are many Irish surnames being used today in forms that are quite different than their original, ancient forms. Higgins originally appeared in Gaelic as "O huigin," which is derived from the word "uiging," which is akin to the Norse word "viking."

Early Origins of the Higgins family

The surname Higgins was first found in County Sligo (Irish: Sligeach), in the province of Connacht in Northwestern Ireland, where they held a family seat from ancient times. This distinguished Irish Clann was a branch of the O'Neills, said to descend from a grandson of Niall of the Nine Hostages, the 4th century High King of Ireland and founder of the Uí Neill Clan.

Early History of the Higgins family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Higgins research. Another 144 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1315, 1490, 1501, 1578, 1595, 1624, 1659, 1661, 1670, 1679, 1691, 1720, 1735, 1796, 1801 and 1818 are included under the topic Early Higgins History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Higgins Spelling Variations

People who were accounted for by scribes and church officials often had their name recorded many different ways because pronunciation was the only guide those scribes and church officials had to go by. This resulted in the problem of one person's name being recorded under several different variations, creating the illusion of more than one person. Among the many spelling variations of the surname Higgins that are preserved in archival documents are Higgins, Higgin, O'Higgin, Higgans, Higgens and many more.

Early Notables of the Higgins family

Prominent amongst the family at this time was

Shean Duff O'Higgins was Lord of Ballynary, Sligo; Theophilus Higgons (c.1578-1659), was an English divine and convert to Catholicism; Sir Thomas Higgons (c 1624-1691), was an English diplomat and pol...
Bevil Higgons (1670-1735), was an English historian and poet; and Ambrose O'Higgins (1720-1801), who left Ireland to be educated in Spain, became an administrator in Spain's colonies, becoming Vice-Ro...

Higgins World Ranking

In the United States, the name Higgins is the 370^th most popular surname with an estimated 74,610 people with that name. 1 However, in Canada, the name Higgins is ranked the 664^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,845 people with that name. 2 And in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Higgins is the 519^th popular surname with an estimated 89 people with that name. 3 Australia ranks Higgins as 214^th with 15,599 people. 4 New Zealand ranks Higgins as 328^th with 1,907 people. 5 The United Kingdom ranks Higgins as 216^th with 26,576 people. 6

Higgins migration to the United States +

Ireland became inhospitable for many native Irish families in the 19th centuries. Poverty, lack of opportunities, high rents, and discrimination forced thousands to leave the island for North America. The largest exodus of Irish settlers occurred with the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. For these immigrants the journey to British North America and the United States was long and dangerous and many did not live to see the shores of those new lands. Those who did make it were essential to the development of what would become two of the wealthiest and most powerful nations of the world. These Irish immigrants were not only important for peopling the new settlements and cities, they also provided the manpower needed for the many industrial and agricultural projects so essential to these growing nations. Immigration and passenger lists have documented the arrival of various people bearing the name Higgins to North America:

Higgins Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Higgins, aged 21, who arrived in Virginia in 1616 aboard the ship "George" 7
Elizabeth Higgins, who landed in Virginia in 1623 8
Abraham Higgins, who landed in Salem, Massachusetts in 1637 8
Georg Higgins, who landed in Virginia in 1639 8
Richard Higgins, who landed in Maryland in 1649 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Higgins Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Charles Higgins, who arrived in Virginia in 1702 8
Timo Higgins, who arrived in Virginia in 1703 8
Walter Higgins, who landed in Virginia in 1705 8
Norah Higgins, who arrived in Virginia in 1706 8
Alexander Higgins, aged 18, who arrived in New England in 1724 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Higgins Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Edward Higgins, aged 27, who arrived in New York in 1800 8
William Higgins, who arrived in New York in 1804 8
Terrence Higgins, who landed in America in 1804 8
Nicholas Higgins, who landed in America in 1811 8
Bernard Higgins, aged 21, who arrived in Tennessee in 1812 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Higgins Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Mr. James Higgins, (b. 1872), aged 28, Cornish miner travelling aboard the ship "St Paul" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 14th January 1900 en route to New York, USA 9
Mr. Thomas H. Higgins, (b. 1878), aged 26, Cornish miner travelling aboard the ship "New York" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 21st August 1904 en route to Silver Plume, Colorado, USA 9
Mr. Lambert Higgins, (b. 1879), aged 26, Cornish miner travelling aboard the ship "Philadelphia" arriving at Ellis Island, New York in 1905 en route to Kofa, Arizona, USA 9
Miss Mary E. Higgins, (b. 1901), aged 4, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Philadelphia" arriving at Ellis Island, New York in 1905 en route to Kofa, Arizona, USA 9
Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Higgins, (b. 1873), aged 32, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Philadelphia" arriving at Ellis Island, New York in 1905 en route to Kofa, Arizona, USA 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Higgins migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Higgins Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

John Higgins, who settled in St. John's, Newfoundland in 1751 10
Elizabeth Higgins, who settled in Harbour Grace, Newfoundland in 1774
Mr. Benjamin Higgins U.E. who arrived at Port Roseway [Shelburne], Nova Scotia on December 13, 1783 was passenger number 358 aboard the ship "HMS Clinton", picked up on November 14, 1783 at East River, New York 11
Mrs. Phebe Higgins U.E. who arrived at Port Roseway [Shelburne], Nova Scotia on December 13, 1783 was passenger number 479 aboard the ship "HMS Clinton", picked up on November 14, 1783 at East River, New York 11
Mr. Abraham Higgins U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 11

Higgins Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Mich Higgins, who landed in Canada in 1811
Michael Higgins, who settled in Fogo, Newfoundland in 1824 10
Bennett Higgins, who landed in Canada in 1830
Bernard Higgins, aged 23, who landed in Quebec in 1833
Jeremiah Higgins, aged 36, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the barque "Pallas" from Cork, Ireland
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Higgins migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Higgins Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Higgins, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Duke of Portland" in January 1807, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12
Edmund Higgins, English convict from Oxford, who was transported aboard the "Ann" on August 1809, settling in New South Wales, Australia 13
George Higgins, English convict from Kent, who was transported aboard the "Ann" on August 1809, settling in New South Wales, Australia 13
Mr. Samuel Higgins, English convict who was convicted in Hereford, Herefordshire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 16th January 1816, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 14
Mr. Samuel Higgins, English convict who was convicted in Hereford, Herefordshire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Fame" on 9th October 1816, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 15
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Higgins migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Higgins Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

William Higgins, aged 35, a sawyer, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Clifford" in 1842
Mary Ann Higgins, aged 38, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Clifford" in 1842
Mary Higgins, aged 6, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Clifford" in 1842
Matthew Higgins, aged 7 mths., who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Clifford" in 1842
Peter Higgins, aged 36, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Mary Ann" in 1842
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Higgins migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 16

Higgins Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Mr. John Higgins, (b. 1614), aged 20, British settler travelling from London, UK arriving in St Christopher (St. Kitts) on 5th January 1634 8

Contemporary Notables of the name Higgins (post 1700) +

Jack Higgins (1954-2024), American editorial cartoonist
Tamaurice William "Tee" Higgins (b. 1999), American football wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL)
Thomas John Higgins (1944-2018), American rock climber noted for his free climbing style
Laurence Higgins (1928-2016), British-born, American Roman Catholic priest, chaplain for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Johnnie Lee Higgins (b. 1983), American NFL football wide receiver
Edward Haydn "Eddie" Higgins (1932-2009), American jazz pianist, composer and orchestrator
Steve Higgins (b. 1963), American writer and comedian
Andrew Jackson Higgins (1886-1952), American businessman, founder and owner of Higgins Industries who built over 20,000 Higgins boats, landing crafts used extensively in amphibious landings in World War II
Brigadier-General Gerald Joseph Higgins (1909-1996), American Deputy Commanding General 4th Division (1949-1950) 17
George G. Higgins (1916-2002), renowned labor activist and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom
... (Another 20 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Higgins family +

HMS Dorsetshire

Stan Higgins, British aboard the HMS Dorsetshire (1945) when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he survived the sinking 18

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. Douglas Ewart Higgins, British Marine, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 19

HMS Repulse

Mr. Louis Higgins, British Gunnery Instructor, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 20
Mr. Lewis C Higgins, British Leading Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 20

HMS Royal Oak

P. Higgins, British Petty Officer with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he survived the sinking 21
John Irving Higgins (1917-1939), British Able Seaman with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 21

RMS Lusitania

Mr. John Higgins, English Scullery man from Liverpool, England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 22

SS Atlantic

Mr. Michael Higgins, who was traveling aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, died in the sinking

The Higgins Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Pro patria
Motto Translation: For my country

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/duke-of-portland
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Ann voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1809 with 200 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/ann/1809
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 27th September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fairlie
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, March 12) Gerald Higgins. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Higgins/Gerald_Joseph/USA.html
Force Z Survivors HMS Dorsetshire Crew List, (Retrieved 2018, February 13th), https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listdorsetshirecrew.html
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html
Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/