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Higgins is a surname found in England and in Ireland, with several origins.^[1]

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^[2] Uiginn being the Gaelic version of the Old Norse víkingr or Viking.^[3]

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