Higginbotham
An English surname meaning “Hickin’s bottom,” originally pointing to someone from a low-lying place associated with the name Hickin/Hick.
The #2,492 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 21,309 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is generally explained as a place-name surname built from the personal name Hickin, a diminutive of Hick, plus botham or bottom, meaning a valley bottom or low-lying land. In other words, it likely began as a label for someone who lived in or came from a low place connected with that name. 19th-century surname scholars also treated it as a variant of Higginbottom, with the -botham spelling reflecting local pronunciation and spelling variation.
History
Bardsley and related surname works connect Higginbotham with forms such as Higginbottom and place it among North English surnames built from local topography. Guppy records the name in Cheshire and Derbyshire, showing that it was established in those counties by the late 19th century. The surname has since spread widely, especially in English-speaking countries, through migration and emigration.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older surname dictionaries often treat Higginbotham and Higginbottom as near-equivalents, reflecting how flexible regional spelling could be before standardization.
From the historical record
“bottom and Rowbotham,5idebottom and Sidebotham, Higginbottom and Higginbotham, Shufflebotham, Sec, q.v. ; cf. also Robertua de Cnimwelbothom, 1379 : P. T. S™ del BathDm, co. Lane. isiJ : Lay”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instances