2000
#54,766
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 352
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.13
Very Rare Last name
Bigbie
An English surname derived from the Old English term "biggin", meaning a dwelling or homestead.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 384 Americans carry the last name Bigbie. That puts it at #64,212 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 892,589 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bigbie surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
384
1 in 892,589
Census rank
#64,212
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
335
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 335 bearers of the surname Bigbie in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 64212th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bigbie, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.9%) and Black (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bigbie
Among Census respondents with the surname Bigbie, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.9%) and Black (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Bigbie bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Bigbie surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.8% · 284
- Two or more races6.9% · 23
- Black or African American3.3% · 11
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.1% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bigbie
Bigbie appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#56,073
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 365
+13 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Down 1,307 places
2020
#64,212
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 335
-30 bearers (-8.2%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Down 8,139 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #54,766 | 352 | 0.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #56,073 | 365 | 0.12 | +13 bearers (+3.7%) | Down 1,307 places |
| 2020 | #64,212 | 335 | 0.11 | -30 bearers (-8.2%) | Down 8,139 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Bigbie surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #56,073 | #64,212 | -14.5% |
| Count | 365 | 335 | -8.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.12 | 0.11 | -6.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bigbie bearers went from 365 to 335 (-8.2% change). The surname moved down 8,139 positions in the national ranking, going from #56,073 to #64,212.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Bigbie
FAQ
Bigbie surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bigbie?
Name Census estimates that about 384 living Americans carry the surname Bigbie. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 892,589 residents.
How common is Bigbie?
Bigbie ranks #64,212 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.11 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 335 people with the surname Bigbie. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (384), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.11 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Bigbie.
Has Bigbie become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bigbie went from 365 recorded bearers to 335. That is a decrease of 30 (-8.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #56,073 to #64,212.
What does the Census say about the background of Bigbie?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bigbie, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.9%) and Black (3.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bigbie in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.8% (284 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bigbie appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.8%), Two or More Races (6.9%), Black (3.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Bigbie (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Bigbie mean?
An English surname derived from the Old English term "biggin", meaning a dwelling or homestead. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Bigbie (0.11 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Bigbie?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.