Briggins last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Briggins

A locational surname derived from a place called Briggins or Briggens.

Briggins, 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 Briggins surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Briggins in America

Briggins is the 69579th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Briggins surname appeared 282 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Briggins.

We can also compare 2010 data for Briggins 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 69579 77742 -11.08%
Count 282 229 20.74%
Proportion per 100k 0.10 0.08 22.22%

The history of the last name Briggins

The surname Briggins is of English origin, and it first emerged in the late 12th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Old English word "brygg," which means "bridge," suggesting that the first bearers of this surname may have lived near a bridge or worked as bridge keepers or builders.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Briggins can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, dated 1195, where a person named Robertus de Briggis is mentioned. This early spelling variation, "Briggis," further supports the theory that the name is associated with bridges.

In the 13th century, the name appears in various records across different counties in England. For instance, in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1240, a certain William Brigges is documented. Similarly, in the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1273, a person named Roger de Brigges is recorded.

As the name spread throughout England, it took on various spellings, such as Briggs, Brigges, and Briggins. One notable figure bearing this surname was Sir Ralph Briggs (c. 1562-1625), an English soldier and member of parliament who served during the reign of King James I.

Another individual of note was Henry Briggs (1556-1630), an English mathematician and one of the earliest champions of logarithms. He collaborated with John Napier, the inventor of logarithms, and made significant contributions to the field of mathematics.

In the 16th century, the surname Briggins also appears in connection with place names. For example, the village of Briggins in Hertfordshire is mentioned in records from that period, suggesting that some individuals may have adopted the surname based on their place of origin.

Other historical figures bearing the Briggins surname include John Briggins (c. 1580-1660), an English clergyman and author, and William Briggins (1675-1743), a renowned English architect who designed several notable buildings in London.

Throughout its history, the surname Briggins has maintained a strong presence in England, with various spelling variations and connections to both occupations and geographical locations related to bridges.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Briggins

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

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 Briggins was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 2.48% 7
Non-Hispanic Black Only 93.26% 263
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 2.48% 7
Hispanic Origin 1.77% 5

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 Briggins has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 2.48% 2.18% 12.88%
Black 93.26% 91.27% 2.16%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 2.48% 3.49% -33.84%
Hispanic 1.77% (S)% (S)%

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

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

Reference this page

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"Briggins last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/briggins-surname-popularity/.

"Briggins last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/briggins-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Briggins last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/briggins-surname-popularity/.

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