Find out how popular the last name Big is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Big.

Big, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Big surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Big in America

Big is the 86645th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Big surname appeared 215 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Big.

We can also compare 2010 data for Big to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Big

The surname "Big" is of English origin, and it can be traced back to the Middle Ages, around the 13th century. It is believed to have been derived from the Old English word "big," which means "large" or "great." This name was likely given as a descriptive nickname to someone who was physically large or imposing in stature.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "Big" can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, a historical record dating back to 1273. In this document, there is a reference to a person named "John le Bigge." The use of the prefix "le" before the surname was a common practice at the time, indicating the name was originally a descriptive nickname.

During the medieval period, the surname "Big" was also spelled in various ways, such as "Bigge," "Bygg," and "Bygge." These variations were likely due to the inconsistencies in spelling and pronunciation of the time.

The name "Big" has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest recorded examples is Sir John Big, who lived in the 14th century and was a prominent landowner in Gloucestershire, England.

Another notable figure bearing the surname "Big" was John Big, a 16th-century English Protestant reformer and theologian. He was born in 1518 and played a significant role in the English Reformation, contributing to the translation of the Bible into English.

In the 17th century, there was a famous Dutch painter named Hieronymus Big, who was known for his still-life paintings. He was born in 1639 and is considered one of the most influential figures in the Dutch Golden Age of painting.

During the 18th century, a notable figure with the surname "Big" was Sir Samuel Big, an English politician and Member of Parliament. He was born in 1720 and served as the Member of Parliament for Bristol from 1761 to 1780.

In the 19th century, one of the most prominent individuals with the surname "Big" was William Big, an American politician and lawyer. He was born in 1819 and served as the Governor of Texas from 1859 to 1861.

The surname "Big" has a long and rich history, with its origins dating back to the Middle Ages in England. Over the centuries, it has been borne by notable individuals from various fields, including politics, religion, art, and law.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Big

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Big.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Big was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Big has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Big was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Big, please contact us.

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