Find out how popular the last name Biggins is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Biggins.
Derived from the Old Norse bygg and vin, meaning "barley" and "meadow," referring to a person who lived near a barley field.
Biggins, 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 Biggins surname is from the 2010 census data.
Biggins is the 14848th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Biggins surname appeared 1,995 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Biggins.
We can also compare 2010 data for Biggins 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.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
Rank | 14848 | 14182 | 4.59% |
Count | 1,995 | 1,943 | 2.64% |
Proportion per 100k | 0.68 | 0.72 | -5.71% |
The surname Biggins is of English origin, with its roots dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "bygging," which means a building or a dwelling place. This suggests that the name may have initially been used to identify someone who lived near a prominent building or settlement.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Biggins can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1275, where it appears as "de Bigginge." This spelling variation highlights the name's evolution over time and its connection to a specific location or place name.
During the Middle Ages, the name Biggins was particularly prevalent in the counties of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Warwickshire. Records from this period indicate that the name was often associated with landowners or individuals of some social standing within their local communities.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the name Biggins was Sir Ralph Biggins (c. 1515-1585), a Member of Parliament and landowner in Warwickshire. He played a role in the English Reformation and was known for his staunch Protestantism.
Another prominent individual was John Biggins (1589-1660), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Regius Professor of Hebrew at Oxford University. He was a respected scholar and author of several works on biblical studies.
The Biggins surname also has connections to the literary world. Walter Biggins (1686-1737) was an English poet and playwright who wrote several comedies and satires that were performed in London theaters during the early 18th century.
In the 19th century, Joseph Biggins (1828-1891) was a renowned English architect known for his work on churches and other public buildings in the Gothic Revival style. He designed several notable structures, including the Church of St. Mary in Leamington Spa.
Another notable figure was Sarah Biggins (1831-1909), a philanthropist and social reformer from Manchester. She dedicated her life to improving the living conditions of working-class families and establishing educational opportunities for underprivileged children.
While the surname Biggins may not be as widely recognized as some other English surnames, its history spans several centuries and encompasses individuals from various walks of life, including landowners, academics, artists, and philanthropists.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Biggins.
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:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Biggins was:
Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
---|---|---|
Non-Hispanic White Only | 66.92% | 1,335 |
Non-Hispanic Black Only | 29.17% | 582 |
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | (S)% | (S) |
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | (S) |
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | 1.00% | 20 |
Hispanic Origin | 2.11% | 42 |
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 Biggins has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
White | 66.92% | 69.17% | -3.31% |
Black | 29.17% | 27.17% | 7.10% |
Asian and Pacific Islander | (S)% | 0.51% | (S)% |
American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | 0.26% | (S)% |
Two or More Races | 1.00% | 1.60% | -46.15% |
Hispanic | 2.11% | 1.29% | 48.24% |
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 Biggins was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
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<a href="http://namecensus.com/last-names/biggins-surname-popularity/">Biggins last name popularity, history, and meaning</a>
"Biggins last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 16, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/biggins-surname-popularity/.
"Biggins last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/biggins-surname-popularity/. Accessed 16 July, 2025
Biggins last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/biggins-surname-popularity/.
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