Bigbie last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Bigbie

An English surname derived from the Old English term "biggin", meaning a dwelling or homestead.

Bigbie, 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 Bigbie surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bigbie in America

Bigbie is the 56073rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bigbie surname appeared 365 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 Bigbie.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bigbie 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.

20102000Change (%)
Rank56073547662.36%
Count3653523.63%
Proportion per 100k0.120.13-8.00%

The history of the last name Bigbie

The surname Bigbie is believed to have originated from the northern regions of England during the early Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "bic" meaning ridge or hill, and "by" meaning a farmstead or settlement, suggesting that the name may have referred to someone who lived near a prominent hill or ridge.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Biggebi" and "Biggebey." These entries suggest that the name was already established in various parts of northern England by the late 11th century.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Bigby," "Biggebie," and "Bygby," reflecting the changes in spelling and pronunciation over time. One notable bearer of the name during this period was John Bigby, a landowner in Yorkshire, who was mentioned in records dating back to 1327.

By the 15th century, the spelling had largely settled on the form "Bigbie." In 1492, a Richard Bigbie was recorded as a resident of Nottinghamshire. Another prominent figure was William Bigbie, a merchant from Lancashire, who was active in the early 16th century.

In the 17th century, the name spread to other parts of England, and even to the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in America was that of Thomas Bigbie, who was born in Virginia in 1639.

Other notable bearers of the surname include:

  1. James Bigbie (1802-1879), an English industrialist and philanthropist from Yorkshire.
  2. Elizabeth Bigbie (1822-1898), an American educator and advocate for women's rights.
  3. Henry Bigbie (1863-1941), a British explorer who led expeditions to Africa and Asia.
  4. Alice Bigbie (1887-1974), an American author known for her historical novels.
  5. Robert Bigbie (1920-2002), a British politician who served as a Member of Parliament for several decades.

Throughout its history, the surname Bigbie has maintained its connection to its Old English roots, reflecting the rich tapestry of English surnames and their origins in the landscape, settlements, and occupations of the people who bore them.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bigbie

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

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 Bigbie was:

Race/EthnicityPercentageTotal Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only91.23%333
Non-Hispanic Black Only2.19%8
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only(S)%(S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native(S)%(S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races2.47%9
Hispanic Origin1.92%7

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 Bigbie has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

20102000Change (%)
White91.23%90.63%0.66%
Black2.19%2.27%-3.59%
Asian and Pacific Islander(S)%(S)%(S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native(S)%1.42%(S)%
Two or More Races2.47%3.41%-31.97%
Hispanic1.92%(S)%(S)%

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 Bigbie was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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