Wriggs
A variant spelling of an English surname transferred to masculine forename use.
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Wriggs. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Wriggs today is around 5 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Wriggs births was 2021 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Wriggs. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Wriggs. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
2021
6 babies that year
Average age
5
years old
2022 SSA rank
#14,223
Tracked since 2021
Popularity
Wriggs: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Wriggs by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Wriggs during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 11 | 0 | 11 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Wriggs
The name Wriggs is an English name with origins dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "wricg," which meant "to twist or turn." This name was likely given to children who were particularly active or fidgety, always twisting and turning.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Wriggs can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which recorded landowners and tenants in England after the Norman Conquest. A man named Wriggs is listed as a tenant in the county of Gloucestershire.
During the Middle Ages, the name Wriggs was fairly common among the English peasantry and working class. It was not a name typically associated with nobility or royalty.
In the 14th century, a notable figure named Wriggs Longstaff was a prominent merchant and member of the Guild of Weavers in the city of York. He played a significant role in establishing trade regulations and quality standards for the wool industry.
In the 16th century, a man named Wriggs Hardwicke was a respected landowner and farmer in the county of Derbyshire. His name is mentioned in several local records and land deeds from that time period.
During the English Civil War in the 17th century, a soldier named Wriggs Prendergast fought for the Parliamentarian forces under Oliver Cromwell. He was noted for his bravery and military exploits.
In the 18th century, Wriggs Farnsworth was a renowned clockmaker and inventor from the town of Doncaster. He is credited with several innovations in the design and manufacture of pendulum clocks.
The name Wriggs has remained in use throughout the centuries, although it has never been among the most popular or widespread first names in English-speaking cultures. It has maintained a modest presence, particularly in areas of England where it originated.
People
Wriggs + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Wriggs as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with W
Other first names starting with W with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Wriggs: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Wriggs?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Wriggs going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Wriggs a common name?
We classify Wriggs as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Wriggs most popular?
The single biggest year for Wriggs was 2021, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Wriggs is about 5 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Wriggs in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Wriggs a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Wriggs in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Wriggs still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Wriggs in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Wriggs can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Wriggs?
See how many people share the name Wriggs on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.