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

Rigby, 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 Rigby surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rigby in America

Rigby is the 5388th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rigby surname appeared 6,458 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Rigby.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rigby 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 Rigby

The surname Rigby is of English origin and is believed to have originated in the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from the place name Rigby, which itself is a combination of the Old Norse word 'riğr' meaning 'ridge' and the Old English word 'by' meaning a 'settlement' or 'village'. The name essentially refers to someone who lived in the ridge-top settlement.

Rigby is an ancient village in Lancashire, England, and the surname is thought to have originated in this area. The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to the 13th century, with a John de Rigby being mentioned in the Lancashire Assize Rolls of 1246.

The Rigby surname appears in several historical records and manuscripts, including the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is recorded as 'Righebi'. This suggests that the settlement and surname have been in existence since at least the 11th century.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the Rigby surname was Sir Alexander Rigby, born in 1594, who was a prominent Parliamentarian during the English Civil War. He played a significant role in the siege of Lathom House in 1644.

Another noteworthy figure was Edward Rigby, born in 1747, who was a prominent English physician and obstetrician. He is known for his contributions to the field of obstetrics and for introducing the use of the obstetric forceps in England.

In the 19th century, Joseph Rigby, born in 1784, was a successful English industrialist and entrepreneur who founded the Baxenden Chemical Works in Lancashire.

Sir John Rigby, born in 1924, was a British business leader and industrialist who played a significant role in the development of the aerospace and defense industries in the United Kingdom.

More recently, Steven Rigby, born in 1977, is a British television presenter and journalist known for his work on various BBC programs, including 'Watchdog' and 'Rip Off Britain'.

While the Rigby surname is predominantly found in England, it has also been carried to other parts of the world through migration and settlement. The name remains most prevalent in areas with historical connections to Lancashire and the surrounding regions of northern England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rigby

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

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

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

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