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

Bigelow, 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 Bigelow surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bigelow in America

Bigelow is the 3086th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bigelow surname appeared 11,650 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Bigelow.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bigelow 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 Bigelow

The surname Bigelow is of English origin and dates back to the early medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "bigel" meaning "building" and "hlaw" meaning "hill" or "mound." Thus, the name likely referred to someone who lived near a prominent building on a hill or a large man-made mound.

The name was first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, the great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror. It appeared as "Bigelowe," referring to a location in Nottinghamshire. Over time, various spellings emerged, such as Bigelow, Biglow, and Biggelow.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Bigelow, who was born in Wrentham, Suffolk, England, around 1320. Records show that he was a landowner and a prominent member of the local community.

In the 16th century, the Bigelow family established themselves in the village of Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, which was once known as "Bigeloweswathe." This place name likely influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname.

Notable individuals with the Bigelow surname include:

1. John Bigelow (1817-1911), an American lawyer, diplomat, and writer. He served as the American consul in Paris during the American Civil War and later became the Secretary of State of New York.

2. Erastus Bigelow (1814-1879), an American industrialist and inventor. He is credited with developing the first power loom for weaving Brussels carpets, revolutionizing the carpet industry.

3. Poultney Bigelow (1855-1954), an American journalist and writer. He is best known for his work as a war correspondent during the Spanish-American War and the Boxer Rebellion in China.

4. Jacob Bigelow (1787-1879), an American physician and botanist. He was a professor at Harvard University and authored several influential works on medical botany and materia medica.

5. Melville Madison Bigelow (1846-1921), a Canadian-American engineer and inventor. He is credited with developing the Bigelow boiler, which was widely used in steam engines during the late 19th century.

The Bigelow surname has a rich history and has been borne by many notable individuals throughout the centuries, particularly in England and later in the United States and Canada.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bigelow

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

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

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

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