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

Riggins, 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 Riggins surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Riggins in America

Riggins is the 2934th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Riggins surname appeared 12,218 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Riggins.

We can also compare 2010 data for Riggins 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 Riggins

The surname Riggins originated in England and dates back to the medieval era. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "hrycg" meaning "ridge" and "ing" meaning "meadow" or "settlement." This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who lived near a ridge or hill.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Rigingis." This version of the name is thought to have evolved from the Old English "Hrycgingas," meaning "the people of the ridge."

In the 13th century, the name was often spelled as "Riggens" or "Riggons." During this time, many people with the surname Riggins were found in the counties of Staffordshire, Warwickshire, and Worcestershire.

Notable individuals with the surname Riggins include:

1. Sir John Riggins (1565-1639), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Staffordshire.
2. William Riggins (1670-1745), an English painter known for his portraits and landscapes.
3. Mary Riggins (1720-1805), a British author and poet who published several collections of poetry.
4. Richard Riggins (1792-1860), an English explorer who led expeditions to the Arctic regions.
5. James Riggins (1835-1912), an American businessman and politician who served as the mayor of Savannah, Georgia.

The name Riggins has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Riggindale in Yorkshire and Riggins Moor in Staffordshire. These locations likely derived their names from the same Old English roots as the surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Riggins

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

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

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

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