2000
#6,176
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.89
Rare Last name
Rigdon
Derived from a place name meaning "ridge hill" in Old English, referring to someone who lived near a ridge.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,742 Americans carry the last name Rigdon. That puts it at #6,515 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 59,693 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rigdon 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
5.7K
1 in 59,693
Census rank
#6,515
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,007 bearers of the surname Rigdon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6515th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rigdon, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rigdon
The surname Rigdon has its origins in England, where it can be traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "ricg" and "dun," which together mean "ridge hill." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived on or near a prominent ridge or hilltop.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Rigdun." This entry refers to a place name, likely a village or hamlet, located in one of the counties surveyed during the great census commissioned by William the Conqueror.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Riggedun" and "Riggedon," reflecting the evolution of the English language and the variations in local dialects. During this time, many individuals began adopting surnames based on their place of origin or residence, which may have contributed to the widespread use of the Rigdon name.
One notable figure bearing this surname was Sir John Rigdon, a prominent landowner and military commander who lived during the reign of Edward III in the 14th century. He is recorded as having participated in several campaigns against the Scottish and French forces during the Hundred Years' War.
Another historical figure of note was William Rigdon, a merchant and alderman from the city of Bristol in the 16th century. He was known for his philanthropic efforts, having contributed to the construction of several churches and charitable institutions in the area.
In the 17th century, the Rigdon family had established a presence in various parts of England, with members recorded in counties such as Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Somerset. One significant individual from this period was Richard Rigdon, a Puritan minister who emigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the 1630s and played a role in the early development of the town of Watertown.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Rigdon name continued to spread across the English-speaking world, with individuals bearing this surname making their mark in various fields. For example, Sidney Rigdon, born in 1793, was a prominent figure in the early history of the Latter Day Saint movement, serving as a close associate of Joseph Smith and playing a key role in the Church's development.
Throughout its long history, the surname Rigdon has maintained its connection to its geographic roots, reflecting the influence of place names and the migration patterns of families across different regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rigdon
Among Census respondents with the surname Rigdon, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Rigdon 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 Rigdon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 4,581
- Two or more races4.2% · 211
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 134
- Black or African American0.7% · 35
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 26
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rigdon
Rigdon 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
#6,586
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,145
+36 bearers (+0.7%)
Per 100,000 1.74
Rank movement Down 410 places
2020
#6,515
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,007
-138 bearers (-2.7%)
Per 100,000 1.68
Rank movement Up 71 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,176 | 5,109 | 1.89 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,586 | 5,145 | 1.74 | +36 bearers (+0.7%) | Down 410 places |
| 2020 | #6,515 | 5,007 | 1.68 | -138 bearers (-2.7%) | Up 71 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 Rigdon 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 | #6,586 | #6,515 | 1.1% |
| Count | 5,145 | 5,007 | -2.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.74 | 1.68 | -3.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rigdon bearers went from 5,145 to 5,007 (-2.7% change). The surname moved up 71 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,586 to #6,515.
FAQ
Rigdon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rigdon?
Name Census estimates that about 5,742 living Americans carry the surname Rigdon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 59,693 residents.
How common is Rigdon?
Rigdon ranks #6,515 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.68 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 5,007 people with the surname Rigdon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,742), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.68 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 Rigdon.
Has Rigdon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rigdon went from 5,145 recorded bearers to 5,007. That is a decrease of 138 (-2.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,586 to #6,515.
What does the Census say about the background of Rigdon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rigdon, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Rigdon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (4,581 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rigdon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Two or More Races (4.2%), Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Rigdon (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 Rigdon mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "ridge hill" in Old English, referring to someone who lived near 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 Rigdon (1.68 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 are called Rigdon?
You can see how many people are called Rigdon on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.