2000
#14,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,943
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.72
Rare Last name
Biggins
Derived from the Old Norse bygg and vin, meaning "barley" and "meadow," referring to a person who lived near a barley field.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,194 Americans carry the last name Biggins. That puts it at #14,867 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.64 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 156,223 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Biggins 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 Biggins with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.2K
1 in 156,223
Census rank
#14,867
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,913 bearers of the surname Biggins in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.64 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14867th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Biggins, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.8%. The next largest groups are Black (27.2%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Biggins
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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Biggins
Among Census respondents with the surname Biggins, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.8%. The next largest groups are Black (27.2%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Biggins 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 Biggins surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White64.8% · 1,239
- Black or African American27.2% · 521
- Two or more races3.9% · 74
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 62
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Biggins
Biggins 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
#14,848
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,995
+52 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Down 666 places
2020
#14,867
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,913
-82 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Down 19 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,182 | 1,943 | 0.72 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,848 | 1,995 | 0.68 | +52 bearers (+2.7%) | Down 666 places |
| 2020 | #14,867 | 1,913 | 0.64 | -82 bearers (-4.1%) | Down 19 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 Biggins 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 | #14,848 | #14,867 | -0.1% |
| Count | 1,995 | 1,913 | -4.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.68 | 0.64 | -5.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Biggins bearers went from 1,995 to 1,913 (-4.1% change). The surname moved down 19 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,848 to #14,867.
FAQ
Biggins surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Biggins?
Name Census estimates that about 2,194 living Americans carry the surname Biggins. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 156,223 residents.
How common is Biggins?
Biggins ranks #14,867 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.64 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 1,913 people with the surname Biggins. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,194), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.64 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.64 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 Biggins.
Has Biggins become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Biggins went from 1,995 recorded bearers to 1,913. That is a decrease of 82 (-4.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,848 to #14,867.
What does the Census say about the background of Biggins?
Among Census respondents with the surname Biggins, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.8%. The next largest groups are Black (27.2%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Biggins in the 2020 Census, accounting for 64.8% (1,239 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Biggins appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (64.8%), Black (27.2%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Biggins (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 Biggins mean?
Derived from the Old Norse bygg and vin, meaning "barley" and "meadow," referring to a person who lived near a barley field. 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 Biggins (0.64 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 common is the surname Biggins?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Biggins on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.