Higgins (surname)

Higgins is a surname found in England and in Ireland, with several origins.

In England, the name originates from: each then stemmed with the patronymic termination 'ings' meaning 'belonging to', or 'the son of'.
 * the name Hugh
 * the name Hig (both the son of Hugh and a diminutive of Hugh)
 * Hicke, a diminutive of Richard

In Ireland, the name is the Anglicised form of the Gaelic name Ó hUiginn, 'descendant of Uiginn'. Although there is another variation which is also an Irish surname McHiggins. Uiginn being the Gaelic version of the Old Norse víkingr or Viking.

In business

 * Andrew Higgins, founder of Higgins Industries and inventor of the Higgins boat
 * Pattillo Higgins (1863–1955), American oil pioneer and businessman, known as the "Prophet of Spindletop"

In education and science

 * Aparna Higgins, Indian-American mathematician
 * Charles Hayes Higgins (1811-1898), British surgeon and medical author
 * Chris Higgins, British geneticist, Vice-Chancellor of Durham University
 * Colleen Higgins, plant pathologist in New Zealand
 * Donald Higgins (1943-1989), Canadian academic
 * E. Tory Higgins (born 1946), American psychologist
 * Henry Higgins (botanist) (1814–1893), English botanist
 * Julian Higgins, British statistician
 * Lionel George Higgins (1891–1985), British obstetrician and lepidopterist
 * Michael W. Higgins (born 1948), Canadian academic and writer
 * Reynold Higgins (1916–1993), English archaeologist
 * Tony Higgins (1944-2004), English university executive
 * William Higgins, Irish chemist
 * William Victor Higgins, American painter and teacher

In literature

 * Aidan Higgins, (1927–2015), Irish writer
 * Beda Higgins, British poet and writer
 * Fiona Higgins, Irish writer
 * George V. Higgins (1939–1999), American attorney and author
 * Jack Higgins (1929–2022), pseudonym of British novelist Harry Patterson
 * Marguerite Higgins (1920–1966), American journalist and war correspondent
 * Michael D. Higgins, (born 1941), Irish poet and president
 * Rita Ann Higgins (born 1955), Irish poet and playwright
 * Ryan T. Higgins, American children's book author

In military service

 * Jack Higgins (RAF officer) (1875–1948), Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force commander
 * Thomas J. Higgins (1831–1917), American soldier
 * William R. Higgins (1945–1990), United States Marine Corps colonel, killed in Lebanon

In music

 * Bertie Higgins (born 1944), American singer-songwriter
 * Billy Higgins (1936–2001), American jazz drummer
 * Chris Higgins, also known as "X-13", former The Offspring touring member
 * Damian Higgins, drum and bass DJ and producer
 * Dick Higgins (1938–1998), American composer, poet and Fluxus artist
 * Eddie Higgins (1932–2009), American jazz pianist, composer and orchestrator
 * Jarad Higgins (1998–2019), American rapper known professionally as Juice WRLD
 * Jon B. Higgins (1939–1984), American Carnatic singer
 * Missy Higgins, Australian singer
 * The Higgins, Canadian band

In politics

 * Brian Higgins, U.S. Representative from New York
 * Clay Higgins, U.S. Representative from Louisiana
 * Clement Higgins (1844–1916), British MP from Norfolk
 * Frank W. Higgins, Governor of New York
 * Geary Higgins, American politician from Virginia
 * H. B. Higgins, Australian politician and judge
 * Jim Higgins (British politician), British socialist
 * Joe Higgins (politician), Socialist Party MEP for Dublin; ex-TD
 * John Patrick Higgins, former U.S. Representative from Massachusetts
 * Joseph T. Higgins (1890–1980), American politician from New York
 * Michael D. Higgins (born 1941), Irish politician, poet, broadcaster and sociologist, President of Ireland since 2011
 * Peg Higgins (born c. 1949), member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives
 * Pete B. Higgins (born 1957), member of the Alaska House of Representatives
 * William L. Higgins (1867–1951), U.S. Representative from Connecticut

In sports

 * Alex Higgins (1949–2010, nicknamed "Hurricane Higgins"), Northern Irish snooker player
 * Andrew Higgins (born 1981), English rugby union footballer
 * Andy Higgins (1960–2021, born Andrew Martin Higgins), English football player
 * Andy Higgins (born 1993), Australian association football player
 * Arthur Higgins (died 1915), rugby league footballer who played in the 1910s
 * Chris Higgins (born 1983), American hockey player
 * David Higgins (born 1972), Irish golfer
 * Dudley Higgins (1920–1999), Irish rugby union player
 * Dylan Higgins (born 1991), Zimbabwean cricketer
 * Elijah Higgins (born 2000), American football player
 * Emma Higgins (born 1986), Northern Irish association footballer
 * Garin Higgins (born 1968), American football coach
 * Harry Higgins (1894–1979), English cricketer
 * Henry Higgins (1944–1978), English bullfighter
 * Jack Higgins, rugby league footballer who played in the 1940s
 * Jayden Higgins, American football player
 * Jim Higgins (1897–1964), Scottish boxer of the 1910s, 1920s and 1930s
 * John Higgins (born 1975), Scottish snooker player
 * Johnnie Lee Higgins (born 1983), free agent wide receiver in the NFL
 * Luke Higgins (1921–1991), American football player
 * Mark Higgins (born 1971), British rally car driver
 * Pinky Higgins (1909–1969), American baseball player, manager, and scout
 * P. J. Higgins (born 1993), American baseball player
 * Rashard Higgins (born 1994), American football wide receiver
 * Ron Higgins (1923-2016), English footballer
 * Roy Higgins (1938–2014), Australian jockey
 * Ruaidhrí Higgins (born 1984), Northern Irish football player and manager
 * Shaun Higgins (born 1988), Australian rules footballer
 * Tee Higgins (born 1999), American football wide receiver

In television and film

 * Clare Higgins (born 1955), English actress
 * John Michael Higgins (born 1963), American actor and comedian
 * Kate Higgins (born 1969), American voice actress, singer, and jazz pianist
 * Kenneth Higgins (1919–2008), British cinematographer
 * Maura Higgins (born 1990), Irish television personality
 * Naomi Higgins, Australian writer and comedian
 * Paul Higgins (born 1964), British actor
 * Steve Higgins (born 1963), American comedian, writer and announcer
 * William Higgins (1942–2019), American director of gay pornographic films

Other professions

 * Arch Higgins, New York City Ballet soloist
 * Bertha G. Higgins (1872–1944), American suffragist, civil rights activist and clubwoman
 * Chester Higgins, Jr., American photographer
 * Edward Higgins (1864–1947), British Salvationist, 3rd General of the Salvation Army
 * Eoin Higgins, High Court of Northern Ireland jurist
 * George Frank Higgins (1850-1884), American painter from Massachusetts
 * Godfrey Higgins (1772–1833), English writer on mythology
 * Dame Joan Higgins, British academic and health service manager
 * Margaret Higgins, Scottish murderer
 * Rosalyn Higgins (born 1937), British lawyer and legal scholar, President of the International Court of Justice

Fictional characters

 * Bubba Higgins, on the American TV sitcom Mama's Family, played by Allan Kayser
 * Henry Higgins, in the play Pygmalion and the derivative musical stage play and later movie, My Fair Lady
 * Jonathan Higgins, on the American TV series Magnum, P.I., played by John Hillerman
 * Juliet Higgins, female version of the same character, on the 2018 reboot