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

Liggins, 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 Liggins surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Liggins in America

Liggins is the 8602nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Liggins surname appeared 3,827 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 Liggins.

We can also compare 2010 data for Liggins 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 Liggins

The surname Liggins originated in England and dates back to the late 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "lig" meaning "flame" or "fire" and "ing" meaning "meadow" or "enclosure." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a burning or cleared area of land.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Hertfordshire in 1196, where a Willelmus de Ligginge is mentioned. The "de" prefix in this entry indicates that the name was originally a locational surname, referring to a specific place called Liggins or Ligginge.

In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, there is a reference to a Richard de Lyggynges, further solidifying the name's presence in medieval England. The variant spelling with a "y" was common during this period.

The Liggins surname can also be traced back to the village of Ligginshaugh, which was located in County Durham. This place name, which means "the meadow of the burning," lends credence to the theory of the name's origin being related to fire or clearing of land.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname was John Liggins, who was born in Gloucestershire in 1540. He was a prominent merchant and landowner in the area.

In the 17th century, Richard Liggins (1585-1637) was a renowned English clergyman and scholar who served as the Rector of Comberton in Cambridgeshire.

Another notable bearer of the name was William Liggins (1670-1744), a successful merchant and philanthropist from Bristol, who was influential in the development of the city's infrastructure and charitable institutions.

During the 18th century, the Liggins family was well-established in various parts of England, with members residing in counties such as Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Staffordshire.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname was Sir John Liggins (1819-1899), a British politician and industrialist who served as a Member of Parliament and played a significant role in the growth of the coal mining industry in South Yorkshire.

Throughout its history, the Liggins surname has maintained a strong presence in England, with pockets of the family also found in other parts of the United Kingdom and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Liggins

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

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

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

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