Where does “Higginson” come from?
Higginson is an English patronymic surname derived from the personal name Higgin, itself a diminutive of Hick, a nickname for Richard, which comes through Middle English Rycharde from Old French Richard and Latin Ricohardus.
Ancestry of “Higginson”, step by step
Higginson traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Higgin
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Higgin | — |
| 2 | English | Hick | pet form of Richard |
| 3 | English | Richard | A turd |
| 4 | Middle English | Rycharde | — |
| 5 | Old French | Richard | — |
| 6 | Medieval Latin | Richardus | — |
| 7 | Frankish | Rīkahard | — |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | Rīkaharduz | A male given name |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | rīks | king, ruler |
| 10 | Proto-Celtic | rīxs | king |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃rḗǵs | king, ruler |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃reǵ- | to straighten, to right oneself; right; just |