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

Riggio, 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 Riggio surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Riggio in America

Riggio is the 14197th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Riggio surname appeared 2,115 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 Riggio.

We can also compare 2010 data for Riggio 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 Riggio

The surname Riggio originated in Italy, with its roots dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Italian word "riggio," which means "golden" or "fair-haired." This suggests that the name was likely given as a nickname to someone with golden or blonde hair.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 12th century in Sicily and parts of southern Italy. In some historical documents, variations such as "Riggio," "Rizzio," and "Rizzo" were used interchangeably.

Interestingly, the name Riggio appears in some ancient Sicilian manuscripts, such as the "Codex Diplomaticus Siciliae" from the 13th century. This collection of documents contains records of land transactions and legal disputes involving individuals with the surname Riggio.

One of the earliest notable figures with this surname was Giovanni Riggio, a prominent lawyer and jurist who lived in Palermo, Sicily, in the late 15th century. He played a significant role in the legal and administrative affairs of the Kingdom of Sicily during the reign of King Ferdinand II of Aragon.

Another historical figure bearing the name Riggio was Vincenzo Riggio, a Sicilian artist and sculptor who lived in the 17th century. He is best known for his intricate woodcarvings and religious statues that adorned many churches and cathedrals in Sicily.

In the 19th century, Giuseppe Riggio was a celebrated Sicilian poet and playwright. Born in Palermo in 1820, he wrote several critically acclaimed works that explored themes of love, patriotism, and the struggles of the Sicilian people.

The surname Riggio can also be found in the annals of Italian-American history. One notable figure was Joseph Riggio, who was born in Sicily in 1865 and immigrated to the United States in the late 19th century. He settled in New York and became a successful businessman, establishing a thriving import-export company.

Another prominent Italian-American with the surname Riggio was Leonard Riggio, born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1941. He is the founder and former CEO of Barnes & Noble, one of the largest bookselling chains in the United States.

While the surname Riggio originated in Italy, it has since spread across the globe, with individuals bearing this name making significant contributions in various fields throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Riggio

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

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

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

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