# Higgins (surname)

Higgins is a surname found in England and in Ireland, with several origins.
In England, the name originates from:
* the name Hugh
* the name Hig (both the son of Hugh and a diminutive of Hugh)
* Hicke, a diminutive of Richard
each then stemmed with the patronymic termination 'ings' meaning 'belonging to', or 'the son of'.
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
* Randall F. Higgins, American book author. "Mayberry on Fire"

## 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
* Jennifer B. Higgins, American government official
* 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 (footballer) (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
* Jay Higgins (born 2002), American football player
* Jayden Higgins (born 2002), 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
* Tyler Higgins (born 1991), American baseball player

## 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