| Higgins is another family name with ancient royal connections. This name is an anglicisation of O hUigin, from uiginn, meaning Viking. The word also means knowledge, skill or ingenuity. The original hold er of the name was a grandson of Niall of the Nine Hostages, a High King of Tara. There is also a later English derivation too; Higgins as an English name comes from the medieval name Higgin, which was a diminutive of Hicke, a pet name given to anyone called Richard. In medieval Ireland, the Higgins were a sept, or clan, of the southern Ui Neills, who settled in Connacht, especially around Co. Sligo. |
