2000
#2,468
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,405
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.97
Uncommon Last name
Diggs
Derived from the Middle English word "digge," referring to a ditch or trench, likely an occupational surname for a ditchdigger.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 15,968 Americans carry the last name Diggs. That puts it at #2,524 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.66 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 21,465 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Diggs surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
16K
1 in 21,465
Census rank
#2,524
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
14K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 13,925 bearers of the surname Diggs in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.66 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2524th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Diggs, the largest self-reported group is Black at 66.1%. The next largest groups are White (23.2%) and Two or More Races (6.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Diggs
The surname Diggs has its origins in England, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the late 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "digge," which referred to a ditch or trench, suggesting that the name may have initially been an occupational surname used to identify someone who lived near or worked with ditches.
One of the earliest known bearers of this surname was John Diggs, who was mentioned in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield, Yorkshire, in 1275. The surname also appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1279, where it was recorded as "Dygges."
The Diggs surname has been found in various historical records throughout the centuries. In the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1327, a Thomas Dygges was listed, while the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379 included a John Dygges.
During the 16th century, the Diggs family was well-established in Kent, England. Sir Dudley Diggs (1583-1639) was a prominent figure during this time, serving as a Member of Parliament and holding the position of Master of the Rolls. Another notable individual from this era was Sir John Diggs (1590-1638), who was a naval officer and Member of Parliament.
In the 17th century, Edward Diggs (1670-1705) was a renowned English clergyman and fellow of Christ's College, Cambridge. He is known for his work as a translator and for his writings on various theological subjects.
Moving into the 18th century, Sir Digby Diggs (1720-1798) was a British naval officer who played a significant role in several battles during the American Revolutionary War. He was recognized for his bravery and leadership and was knighted for his services.
Another prominent figure with the Diggs surname was Anne Diggs (1790-1857), a British writer and poet who gained recognition for her works on religious and moral topics.
Throughout its history, the Diggs surname has been closely associated with various locations in England, particularly Kent and Sussex. Some variations in the spelling of the name have included Digges, Dygges, and Diggis, reflecting the regional dialects and conventions of different areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Diggs
Among Census respondents with the surname Diggs, the largest self-reported group is Black at 66.1%. The next largest groups are White (23.2%) and Two or More Races (6.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Diggs bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Diggs surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American66.1% · 9,209
- White23.2% · 3,234
- Two or more races6.2% · 857
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 496
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 70
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 59
Timeline
Historical Census data for Diggs
Diggs appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#2,497
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,467
+1,062 bearers (+7.9%)
Per 100,000 4.90
Rank movement Down 29 places
2020
#2,524
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,925
-542 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 4.66
Rank movement Down 27 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,468 | 13,405 | 4.97 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,497 | 14,467 | 4.90 | +1,062 bearers (+7.9%) | Down 29 places |
| 2020 | #2,524 | 13,925 | 4.66 | -542 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 27 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Diggs surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,497 | #2,524 | -1.1% |
| Count | 14,467 | 13,925 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 4.90 | 4.66 | -4.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Diggs bearers went from 14,467 to 13,925 (-3.7% change). The surname moved down 27 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,497 to #2,524.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Diggs
FAQ
Diggs surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Diggs?
Name Census estimates that about 15,968 living Americans carry the surname Diggs. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 21,465 residents.
How common is Diggs?
Diggs ranks #2,524 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.66 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 13,925 people with the surname Diggs. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (15,968), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.66 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.66 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Diggs.
Has Diggs become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Diggs went from 14,467 recorded bearers to 13,925. That is a decrease of 542 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,497 to #2,524.
What does the Census say about the background of Diggs?
Among Census respondents with the surname Diggs, the largest self-reported group is Black at 66.1%. The next largest groups are White (23.2%) and Two or More Races (6.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Diggs in the 2020 Census, accounting for 66.1% (9,209 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Diggs appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (66.1%), White (23.2%), Two or More Races (6.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Diggs (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Diggs mean?
Derived from the Middle English word "digge," referring to a ditch or trench, likely an occupational surname for a ditchdigger. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Diggs (4.66 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Diggs?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.