2000
#14,574
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,873
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.69
Rare Last name
Driggs
Habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "dry island" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,407 Americans carry the last name Driggs. That puts it at #13,789 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 142,399 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Driggs 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
2.4K
1 in 142,399
Census rank
#13,789
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,099 bearers of the surname Driggs in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13789th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Driggs, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.6%) and Black (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Driggs
The surname Driggs originates from England, with roots tracing back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "drycg," meaning "dry" or "thirsty," and was likely given as a descriptive name to someone who lived in an arid region or had a particular fondness for beverages.
One of the earliest known references to the name Driggs can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is recorded as "Drigges" in Norfolk, England. This document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, provides a comprehensive record of landholders and their holdings across England.
During the 13th century, the name appeared in various English records, such as the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, where it was spelled "Drigge." Other variations included "Drygg," "Drigg," and "Drigges," reflecting the fluidity of spelling in those times.
In the 14th century, the surname Driggs gained prominence with the birth of Sir John Driggs (1330-1395), a notable English knight and landowner in Oxfordshire. His descendants continued to hold significant estates in the region for several generations.
Another notable figure was Thomas Driggs (1550-1618), a wealthy merchant and alderman in the city of London during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He was known for his philanthropic efforts, including the establishment of a free school in his hometown of Winslow, Buckinghamshire.
The 17th century saw the emergence of Samuel Driggs (1620-1678), an English colonist who settled in New England. He and his family were among the early pioneers in the town of Hempstead, Long Island, where they established a successful farming community.
During the 18th century, the name Driggs was associated with the village of Drigg in Cumbria, England, which likely derived its name from the same Old English root. One notable resident was William Driggs (1725-1801), a prominent landowner and Justice of the Peace in the area.
In the 19th century, the name Driggs gained recognition with the birth of Andrew Sloan Driggs (1810-1888), a prominent American banker and philanthropist from New York City. He was instrumental in the founding of several educational institutions, including the University of the City of New York (now New York University).
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the surname Driggs, a name with roots deeply embedded in the English language and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Driggs
Among Census respondents with the surname Driggs, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.6%) and Black (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Driggs 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 Driggs surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.6% · 1,733
- Hispanic or Latino9.6% · 202
- Black or African American2.8% · 58
- Two or more races2.5% · 53
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 38
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Driggs
Driggs 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
#13,862
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,180
+307 bearers (+16.4%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Up 712 places
2020
#13,789
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,099
-81 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Up 73 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,574 | 1,873 | 0.69 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,862 | 2,180 | 0.74 | +307 bearers (+16.4%) | Up 712 places |
| 2020 | #13,789 | 2,099 | 0.70 | -81 bearers (-3.7%) | Up 73 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 Driggs 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 | #13,862 | #13,789 | 0.5% |
| Count | 2,180 | 2,099 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.74 | 0.70 | -5.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Driggs bearers went from 2,180 to 2,099 (-3.7% change). The surname moved up 73 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,862 to #13,789.
FAQ
Driggs surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Driggs?
Name Census estimates that about 2,407 living Americans carry the surname Driggs. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 142,399 residents.
How common is Driggs?
Driggs ranks #13,789 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,099 people with the surname Driggs. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,407), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.70 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Driggs.
Has Driggs become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Driggs went from 2,180 recorded bearers to 2,099. That is a decrease of 81 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,862 to #13,789.
What does the Census say about the background of Driggs?
Among Census respondents with the surname Driggs, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.6%) and Black (2.8%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Driggs in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.6% (1,733 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Driggs appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.6%), Hispanic (9.6%), Black (2.8%). 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 Driggs (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 Driggs mean?
Habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "dry island" in Old English. 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 Driggs (0.70 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 people have the surname Driggs?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.