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

Bigley, 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 Bigley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bigley in America

Bigley is the 12221st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bigley surname appeared 2,547 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 Bigley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bigley 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 Bigley

The surname Bigley is of English origin, with roots dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "big" and "leah," meaning "big meadow" or "big clearing." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a large meadow or clearing.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bigley can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, a historical record of tax payments made to the English Crown in the late 12th century. The name appeared as "Bigelai" in these rolls, indicating its presence in the region during that time period.

During the 13th century, variations of the name, such as "Biggelay" and "Biggeley," were documented in various records across England, particularly in the counties of Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Cheshire. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and spelling variations common during that era.

In the 14th century, the Bigley surname appeared in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire, which recorded names of taxpayers in the county. This suggests that the name had spread to other parts of England by that time.

One notable historical figure with the surname Bigley was John Bigley, a merchant and landowner who lived in Lancashire in the late 16th century. He was involved in the textile trade and owned several properties in the region.

Another significant individual was Sir Thomas Bigley, born in 1620 in Yorkshire. He was a prominent politician and served as a member of the English Parliament during the reign of King Charles II.

In the 18th century, the Bigley family had a strong presence in the village of Haworth, located in the West Riding of Yorkshire. Several members of the family were involved in the local textile industry and served as churchwardens and officials in the community.

One notable figure from this era was Reverend William Bigley, born in 1742 in Haworth. He was a respected clergyman and served as the vicar of Haworth Church for over 40 years, until his death in 1810.

In the 19th century, the Bigley surname continued to be prevalent in Yorkshire and Lancashire, with several individuals making significant contributions to their local communities. One such person was James Bigley, born in 1818 in Keighley, Yorkshire. He was a successful industrialist and philanthropist, known for his support of educational institutions and charitable causes in the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bigley

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

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

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

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