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

Digby, 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 Digby surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Digby in America

Digby is the 18648th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Digby surname appeared 1,475 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 Digby.

We can also compare 2010 data for Digby 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 Digby

The surname Digby has its origins in England, with the name believed to have emerged in the 11th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "dic" meaning ditch or dike, and "by" meaning a dwelling or village, essentially referring to a settlement near a ditch or embankment.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Dighebi" in reference to a location in Lincolnshire. This place name is believed to have evolved into the modern surname Digby.

In the 13th century, a notable reference to the name appears in the Testa de Nevill, an ancient survey of land ownership in England, where a William de Digby is mentioned as holding lands in Lincolnshire.

The Digby family has a long and distinguished history in England. One of the most prominent members was Sir Everard Digby (1578-1606), who was involved in the Gunpowder Plot to assassinate King James I. Despite his execution for treason, the Digby name endured.

Another notable figure was Sir Kenelm Digby (1603-1665), an English courtier, diplomat, and scientific writer known for his work on the philosophy of matter and his involvement in various intellectual circles of the time.

In the 19th century, Kenelm Henry Digby (1800-1880) was a prominent English writer and Catholic convert, known for his works on medieval literature and philosophy.

The surname also has a connection to the literary world through Margot Digby (1895-1971), an English writer and illustrator of children's books in the early 20th century.

Lastly, William Digby (1894-1951) was a British actor and film director who worked in both the silent and early sound film eras, appearing in over 60 films throughout his career.

Overall, the Digby surname has a rich history spanning multiple centuries, with notable figures contributing to various fields, from politics and diplomacy to literature and the arts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Digby

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

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

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

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