Higginbothom History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Higginbothom

What does the name Higginbothom mean?

The Anglo-Saxon name Higginbothom comes from when the family resided at Higginbottom in the neighbourhood of Marple and Macclesfield, in East Cheshire. 1

Another source postulates that Oakenbottom in Bolton-le-Moors, Lancashire was the the original homestead of the family and that it was "probably influenced by the dialect word hickin or higgin, the mountain ash." 2

Early Origins of the Higginbothom family

The surname Higginbothom was first found in Lancashire where Alexander de Akinbothun was recorded in the Assize Rolls for 1246. 2

As a very rare name, the next entry for the family was over 300 hundred years later in the Prestbury Church, Cheshire where John Hyggynbothom was listed in 1563. The source Earwaker's East Cheshire included an entry for Nicholas Hichinbothome, of Marple gentleman in 1579 and the Lancashire, and Cheshire Record Society notes Alice Higginbotham, of Marple, 1595. 1

Early History of the Higginbothom family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Higginbothom research. Another 75 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1762 and 1844 are included under the topic Early Higginbothom History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Higginbothom Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Higginbothom has been recorded under many different variations, including Higginbottom, Higginbotham, Hickenbottom, Hickinbottom, Higgenbottom, Higginbothem, Higinbotham, Higinbothem and many more.

Early Notables of the Higginbothom family

Abel Joshua Higginbotham, English stowaway who was ejected from a ship at Madras port after he was discovered on board. After a brief internship working as a librarian for a Weslyan Book Shop run by Protestant missionaries, he purchased the...
Another 40 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Higginbothom Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Higginbothom family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Higginbothom or a variant listed above: John Higginbotham settled with his wife and servants in Barbados in 1680; Richard Higginbottom settled in Virginia in 1726; Thomas Higginbottom settled in New England in 1774.

Sources +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)