2000
#5,260
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,091
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.26
Rare Last name
Rigby
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "ridge farm" or "farm on a ridge."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,517 Americans carry the last name Rigby. That puts it at #5,156 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.19 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 45,597 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rigby 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Rigby with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.5K
1 in 45,597
Census rank
#5,156
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,555 bearers of the surname Rigby in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.19 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5156th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rigby, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.2%. The next largest groups are Black (7.6%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rigby
Among Census respondents with the surname Rigby, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.2%. The next largest groups are Black (7.6%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Rigby 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 Rigby surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.2% · 5,520
- Black or African American7.6% · 499
- Two or more races3.8% · 250
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 210
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 64
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rigby
Rigby 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
#5,388
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,458
+367 bearers (+6.0%)
Per 100,000 2.19
Rank movement Down 128 places
2020
#5,156
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,555
+97 bearers (+1.5%)
Per 100,000 2.19
Rank movement Up 232 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,260 | 6,091 | 2.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,388 | 6,458 | 2.19 | +367 bearers (+6.0%) | Down 128 places |
| 2020 | #5,156 | 6,555 | 2.19 | +97 bearers (+1.5%) | Up 232 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 Rigby 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 | #5,388 | #5,156 | 4.3% |
| Count | 6,458 | 6,555 | 1.5% |
| Per 100K | 2.19 | 2.19 | 0.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rigby bearers went from 6,458 to 6,555 (+1.5% change). The surname moved up 232 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,388 to #5,156.
FAQ
Rigby surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rigby?
Name Census estimates that about 7,517 living Americans carry the surname Rigby. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 45,597 residents.
How common is Rigby?
Rigby ranks #5,156 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.19 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,555 people with the surname Rigby. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,517), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.19 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.19 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Rigby.
Has Rigby become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rigby went from 6,458 recorded bearers to 6,555. That is an increase of 97 (+1.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,388 to #5,156.
What does the Census say about the background of Rigby?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rigby, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.2%. The next largest groups are Black (7.6%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Rigby in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.2% (5,520 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rigby appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.2%), Black (7.6%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Rigby (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 Rigby mean?
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "ridge farm" or "farm on a ridge." 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 Rigby (2.19 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 last name Rigby?
You can see how many people have the surname Rigby on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.