The name Rigo is a Spanish and Portuguese variant of the name Rodrigo, which has its origins in the ancient Germanic languages. The name Rodrigo is derived from the Germanic elements "hrod" meaning "fame" or "glory" and "ric" meaning "powerful" or "ruler." It can be translated as "famous ruler" or "glorious ruler."

The name Rodrigo was initially used in the Visigothic Kingdom, which ruled parts of the Iberian Peninsula from the 5th to the 8th centuries. It became particularly popular in Spain and Portugal after the Reconquista, the period of Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rodrigo was in the 9th century, when Rodrigo Ximénez was a Count of Castile and a prominent military leader during the Reconquista. In the 11th century, the famous Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, also known as El Cid, was a Castilian nobleman and military leader who played a crucial role in the Reconquista.

In the 12th century, Rodrigo Jiménez de Rada was a prominent Spanish historian, writer, and Archbishop of Toledo. In the 16th century, Rodrigo de Triana was a Spanish sailor who is credited with being the first person to sight land in the Americas during Christopher Columbus's 1492 voyage.

Another notable figure with the name Rigo was Rigo Jančić, a Croatian painter and printmaker who lived from 1918 to 2008. He was known for his abstract expressionist works and was a prominent figure in the Croatian art scene.

Additionally, Rigo Tovar was a Mexican singer and actor who achieved fame in the 1960s and 1970s. He was known for his romantic ballads and acted in several Mexican films and telenovelas.