Find out how popular the last name Higney is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Higney.

Higney, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Higney surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Higney in America

Higney is the 128249th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Higney surname appeared 133 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Higney.

We can also compare 2010 data for Higney to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Higney

The surname Higney originated in England in the late 16th century. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the Old English words "heah" meaning high and "ey" meaning an island or raised ground, referring to someone who lived on high ground or an elevated area. The name was initially concentrated in the counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Beverley, Yorkshire, in 1592, where a William Higney is listed as a resident. The Higney family can also be found in the 1674 Hearth Tax Rolls for the West Riding of Yorkshire, indicating their presence in the region during that time.

In the late 17th century, the name appears in the records of the village of Norland, near Sowerby Bridge in West Yorkshire. A John Higney, born around 1670, is recorded as residing in Norland and having several children baptized in the local church.

In the 18th century, the name Higney is found in various records across Yorkshire and Lancashire. One notable figure was Richard Higney (1723-1796), a prominent landowner and merchant from Halifax, West Yorkshire, who amassed a considerable fortune through his business dealings.

Another notable individual was Sarah Higney (1750-1823), a writer and poet from Leeds, Yorkshire, who published several works of poetry and prose during her lifetime. Her collection of poems, "Reflections on Nature," published in 1795, received critical acclaim.

In the 19th century, the Higney family continued to be present in Yorkshire and Lancashire, with some members migrating to other parts of England and even to North America. One such individual was William Higney (1822-1904), a farmer from Rochdale, Lancashire, who later settled in Ontario, Canada, with his family in the 1860s.

While the surname Higney is not among the most common in England, it has persisted through the centuries, with its origins firmly rooted in the northern counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire, where it first emerged as a locational name centuries ago.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Higney

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Higney.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Higney was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Higney has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Higney was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Higney, please contact us.

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