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

Diggins, 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 Diggins surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Diggins in America

Diggins is the 12999th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Diggins surname appeared 2,362 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 Diggins.

We can also compare 2010 data for Diggins 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 Diggins

The surname DIGGINS is believed to have originated in England, with the earliest recorded references dating back to the 12th century. It is thought to be a locational name, derived from the Old English word "dicing," which means a ditch or a trench.

In medieval times, DIGGINS may have referred to someone who lived near a ditch or a trench, or perhaps even worked in digging ditches or trenches. The name is found in various early records and documents from different parts of England, suggesting that it was not confined to a specific region.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Ralph de Diggenes, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1190. The Pipe Rolls were a series of financial records maintained by the English Exchequer, providing valuable insights into the names and occupations of individuals at the time.

Another early reference can be found in the Feet of Fines for Suffolk, a collection of legal documents from the 13th century. In 1275, a certain Robert Digon was recorded as a party in a land transaction, indicating that the name had already taken on various spellings.

The Domesday Book, the famous survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct mentions of the DIGGINS surname. However, it does record several place names that may have contributed to the development of the name, such as Diggington in Worcestershire and Ditchling in Sussex.

Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the DIGGINS surname. One such individual was Sir John Diggins (1592-1662), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Tewkesbury during the English Civil War.

Another prominent bearer of the name was William Diggins (1723-1786), a British naval officer who distinguished himself during the American Revolutionary War and rose to the rank of Admiral of the Blue.

In the literary world, Mary Diggins (1888-1962) was an Irish writer and poet who gained recognition for her works depicting rural life in County Mayo.

John Diggins (1935-2009) was an American historian and author, best known for his influential book "The Lost Soul of American Politics: Virtue, Self-Interest, and the Foundations of Liberalism."

Finally, Skylar Diggins (born 1990) is a contemporary American professional basketball player who has represented the United States in international competitions and played in the WNBA for teams like the Tulsa Shock and the Dallas Wings.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Diggins

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

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

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

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