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

Bigler, 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 Bigler surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bigler in America

Bigler is the 8254th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bigler surname appeared 4,013 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 Bigler.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bigler 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 Bigler

The surname BIGLER has its origins in Switzerland, where it first emerged in the 14th century. The name is believed to derive from the Swiss German word "bigler," which referred to a maker or seller of small round objects, such as beads or buttons. This occupational surname was likely first adopted by an individual or family involved in this trade.

The earliest recorded instances of the BIGLER surname date back to the late 14th century in Swiss records and documents. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Johannes Bigler, a merchant from Zürich, who was mentioned in a 1387 tax register.

Throughout the 15th and 16th centuries, the BIGLER name continued to appear in various Swiss records, including birth, marriage, and death registers, as well as property deeds and legal documents. Variations in spelling included Bigler, Biegler, and Bügeler.

In the 17th century, the BIGLER surname began to spread beyond Switzerland as members of the family migrated to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas. One notable early bearer of the name was Hans Bigler (1600-1672), a Swiss Protestant who emigrated to Alsace, France, in the 1620s to escape religious persecution.

Another prominent BIGLER was Johann Jakob Bigler (1705-1781), a Swiss-German painter and engraver known for his religious works and portraits. He was born in Zürich and spent much of his career in Germany.

As the BIGLER surname spread across Europe and the Americas, it continued to be associated with various trades and professions, such as tailors, merchants, and craftsmen. In the 19th century, several BIGLERs achieved notable success in fields such as politics and business.

For example, William Bigler (1814-1880) was an American politician and lawyer who served as Governor of Pennsylvania from 1852 to 1855. Another notable figure was John Bigler (1805-1871), a California politician and lawyer who served as the third Governor of California from 1852 to 1856.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the BIGLER name also gained prominence in the fields of education and literature. One example is Henry W. Bigler (1852-1923), an American educator and author who served as the president of the University of Wyoming from 1891 to 1905.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bigler

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

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

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

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