Liggans
A habitational surname referring to someone from a location named Liggan.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 206 Americans carry the last name Liggans. That puts it at #97,210 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,663,856 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Liggans surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
206
1 in 1,663,856
Census rank
#97,210
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
187
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 187 bearers of the surname Liggans in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 97210th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Liggans, the largest self-reported group is Black at 89.8%. The next largest groups are White (6.4%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Liggans
The surname Liggans has its origins in Scotland, tracing back to the late 15th century. It is believed to derive from the old Scottish word "lig," meaning to lie or recline, and is thought to have referred to someone who lived near a particular meadow or field.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Parish Records of Kilmarnock, Scotland, dating back to 1495, where a John Liggans is mentioned. The name is also found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1508, where a Robert Liggans is listed as a landowner in the county of Ayr.
In the 16th century, the surname is documented in various manuscripts and records, including the Protocol Book of Gavin Ros, where a Thomas Liggans is mentioned as a witness to a land transaction in 1548. The name also appears in the Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland from 1567, where a David Liggans is granted a pardon for his involvement in a feud.
The earliest known bearer of the name Liggans was Sir William Liggans, a Scottish knight who fought alongside Robert the Bruce in the Wars of Scottish Independence in the early 14th century. His descendant, Sir John Liggans, was a prominent figure during the reign of King James IV in the late 15th century.
In the 17th century, the Liggans family was well-established in the Scottish lowlands, particularly in the counties of Ayrshire and Renfrewshire. One notable figure from this period was Robert Liggans, a Presbyterian minister who was persecuted for his religious beliefs during the Killing Times of the 1680s.
As the Liggans family spread throughout Scotland and beyond, variations in spelling emerged, such as Liggins, Ligan, and Ligan. In the 18th century, a branch of the family settled in the north of England, where the name was sometimes anglicized to Liggins or Liggons.
Other notable individuals bearing the Liggans surname include:
1. James Liggans (1785-1858), a Scottish poet and schoolmaster from Ayrshire.
2. William Liggans (1812-1889), a Scottish-born American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Liggans Institute in Monmouth, Illinois.
3. Eliza Liggans (1834-1911), an American educator and suffragist from Ohio.
4. John Liggans (1856-1928), a Scottish-born Australian politician and businessman who served as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly.
5. Margaret Liggans (1890-1966), a Scottish artist known for her landscape paintings and portraits.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Liggans
Among Census respondents with the surname Liggans, the largest self-reported group is Black at 89.8%. The next largest groups are White (6.4%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Liggans bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Liggans surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American89.8%
- White6.4%
- Two or more races3.2%
- Unknown or suppressed0.5%
Year on year
2000 vs 2010 Census
How has the Liggans surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2000 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #104,257 | #97,210 | 6.8% |
| Count | 159 | 187 | 17.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.06 | 0.0% |
Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Liggans bearers went from 159 to 187 (+17.6% change). The surname moved up 7,047 positions in the national ranking, going from #104,257 to #97,210.
FAQ
Liggans surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Liggans?
The surname Liggans holds position #97,210 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 206 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Liggans surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Liggans, the largest self-reported group is Black at 89.8%. The next largest groups are White (6.4%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.