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

Hilligas, 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 Hilligas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hilligas in America

Hilligas is the 86005th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hilligas surname appeared 217 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 Hilligas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hilligas 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 Hilligas

The surname Hilligas is believed to have originated in England, likely during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "hyll" meaning hill and "gas" meaning goose, possibly referring to a person who lived near a hill where geese were found or raised.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the late 12th century, where a Roger Hilligas is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already established in parts of northern England by that time.

In the 13th century, the name appears in various forms such as Hilligehose, Hillighos, and Hilligehosse in records from counties like Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. These variations likely reflect the different regional dialects and spellings of the time.

During the 14th century, the surname Hilligas continued to appear in historical documents, particularly in areas of northern and eastern England. One notable example is John Hilligas, a landowner in Rutland who is mentioned in the Court Rolls of 1387.

As the centuries progressed, the spelling of the name became more standardized, and by the 16th century, it was commonly written as Hilligas. A prominent figure bearing this surname was Thomas Hilligas (1509-1581), a merchant and alderman in the city of London.

Other notable individuals with the Hilligas surname include:

1. William Hilligas (1635-1712), an English painter known for his landscapes and portraits.
2. Elizabeth Hilligas (1705-1768), a renowned poet and playwright from Yorkshire.
3. Robert Hilligas (1787-1853), a British explorer who participated in several expeditions to the Arctic regions.
4. Margaret Hilligas (1819-1892), a prominent figure in the women's suffrage movement in England.
5. John Hilligas (1872-1944), a renowned architect who designed several iconic buildings in London and Oxford.

While the Hilligas surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and is now found in various countries, though it remains relatively uncommon.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hilligas

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

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 Hilligas 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 Hilligas 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 Hilligas was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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