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

Riggle, 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 Riggle surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Riggle in America

Riggle is the 8201st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Riggle surname appeared 4,047 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 Riggle.

We can also compare 2010 data for Riggle 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 Riggle

The surname Riggle originates from England and dates back to the late 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "rigg," meaning a ridge or a back, indicating that it was likely an occupational name for someone who lived or worked on a ridge.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England, where a John Riggle was listed as having been baptized in 1587. This suggests that the name was already established in this region by the late 1500s.

In the 17th century, the Riggle surname appeared in various records across England, including the Hearth Tax Rolls of 1664, where a Thomas Riggle was listed as a resident of Wiltshire. The name is also found in the Protestation Returns of 1641-1642, which recorded those who pledged allegiance to the Protestant faith during the English Civil War.

During the 18th century, the Riggle family had established a presence in counties such as Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, and Warwickshire. One notable individual from this period was William Riggle (1695-1768), a businessman and landowner from Gloucestershire, whose will and estate records provide valuable insight into the family's holdings at the time.

As the centuries progressed, the Riggle surname continued to spread across England, with some members of the family migrating to other parts of the British Isles and beyond. In the 19th century, a branch of the Riggle family settled in Ireland, where they became prominent landowners in County Tipperary.

Among the notable individuals with the Riggle surname throughout history are:

1. Sir John Riggle (1812-1897), a British military officer who served in the Crimean War and received the Victoria Cross for his bravery.

2. Elizabeth Riggle (1842-1923), an English author and philanthropist known for her work in promoting education for women.

3. Henry Riggle (1867-1944), an American industrialist who founded the Riggle Manufacturing Company, a successful machinery business.

4. Sarah Riggle (1902-1988), a British archaeologist and scholar who made significant contributions to the study of ancient Egyptian artifacts.

5. Robert Riggle (1920-2002), an acclaimed American novelist and playwright whose works explored themes of identity and belonging.

While the Riggle surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, carried by families who have made their mark in various fields throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Riggle

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!