2000
#12,393
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,298
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.85
Rare Last name
Bigger
An English surname derived from a nickname for a large or tall person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,299 Americans carry the last name Bigger. That puts it at #14,354 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 149,088 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bigger 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Bigger with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 149,088
Census rank
#14,354
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,005 bearers of the surname Bigger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14354th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bigger, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Black (5.3%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bigger
The surname Bigger is believed to have originated in England and Scotland during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "bigga," which means "to build" or "to dwell." This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who was a builder, carpenter, or lived near a prominent building or structure.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bigger can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Biggar" in this historical document, indicating its presence in England during the Norman era.
In Scotland, the name Bigger is associated with the town of Biggar in South Lanarkshire. The town's name is thought to have originated from the Old English word "bygg," meaning "barley," as the area was known for its fertile land suitable for growing barley. It is possible that the surname Bigger arose from this place name or from individuals who migrated from the town to other parts of Scotland and England.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Bigger was John Bigger (c. 1590-1665), a Scottish minister and theologian who served as the principal of the University of Glasgow. He was also a prominent figure in the Church of Scotland during the turbulent times of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.
Another notable bearer of the name was Samuel Bigger (1834-1926), an Irish naturalist, archaeologist, and antiquarian. He was a co-founder of the Belfast Naturalists' Field Club and made significant contributions to the study of Irish flora and fauna.
In the United States, one of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Bigger was William Bigger (1759-1846), a Revolutionary War soldier from Pennsylvania. He served in the Continental Army and later settled in Ohio, where he became a prominent figure in the early history of the state.
Other notable individuals with the surname Bigger include Sir Edward Bigger (1858-1933), a British Army officer and recipient of the Victoria Cross for his bravery during the Second Boer War, and Francis Joseph Bigger (1863-1926), an Irish writer and historian who published several works on Irish folklore and genealogy.
Throughout its history, the surname Bigger has been subject to various spellings, such as Biggar, Bigger, and Biggert, reflecting regional variations and transcription practices of the time. Nevertheless, the name has endured and continues to be carried by individuals around the world, reflecting its rich heritage and diverse origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bigger
Among Census respondents with the surname Bigger, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Black (5.3%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Bigger 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 Bigger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.0% · 1,704
- Black or African American5.3% · 107
- Two or more races4.2% · 84
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 68
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.6% · 33
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bigger
Bigger 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
#13,210
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,314
+16 bearers (+0.7%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Down 817 places
2020
#14,354
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,005
-309 bearers (-13.4%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Down 1,144 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,393 | 2,298 | 0.85 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,210 | 2,314 | 0.78 | +16 bearers (+0.7%) | Down 817 places |
| 2020 | #14,354 | 2,005 | 0.67 | -309 bearers (-13.4%) | Down 1,144 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 Bigger 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 | #13,210 | #14,354 | -8.7% |
| Count | 2,314 | 2,005 | -13.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.78 | 0.67 | -14.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bigger bearers went from 2,314 to 2,005 (-13.4% change). The surname moved down 1,144 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,210 to #14,354.
FAQ
Bigger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bigger?
Name Census estimates that about 2,299 living Americans carry the surname Bigger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 149,088 residents.
How common is Bigger?
Bigger ranks #14,354 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,005 people with the surname Bigger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,299), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.67 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Bigger.
Has Bigger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bigger went from 2,314 recorded bearers to 2,005. That is a decrease of 309 (-13.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,210 to #14,354.
What does the Census say about the background of Bigger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bigger, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Black (5.3%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Bigger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.0% (1,704 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bigger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.0%), Black (5.3%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Bigger (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 Bigger mean?
An English surname derived from a nickname for a large or tall person. 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 Bigger (0.67 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 Americans have the surname Bigger?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.