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

Riggs, 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 Riggs surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Riggs in America

Riggs is the 1011th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Riggs surname appeared 34,506 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 12 people would have the surname Riggs.

We can also compare 2010 data for Riggs 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 Riggs

The surname Riggs has its origins in the northern English counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire, where it emerged as a locational name derived from the Old English word "hrycg," meaning "ridge." This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name likely hailed from a place situated on or near a prominent ridge.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "de Rigges," referring to a landowner in Yorkshire. Another early record dates back to 1202, when a William de Riggeby is mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire.

Throughout the Middle Ages, the name underwent various spellings, including Rigge, Rigg, Rigges, and Riggys, reflecting the inconsistencies in orthography during that period. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the personal preferences of scribes.

One notable historical figure bearing the Riggs surname was Edward Riggs (c. 1558-1636), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford from 1608 to 1609. In the United States, Elias Riggs (1810-1901) was a pioneering American missionary and linguist who made significant contributions to the study of Armenian, Bulgarian, and Turkish languages.

Another prominent individual was Sara Riggs (1838-1905), an American educator and women's rights activist who was instrumental in the establishment of the Milwaukee Female College, one of the first institutions of higher education for women in Wisconsin.

In the realm of sports, Bobby Riggs (1918-1995) was a renowned American tennis player who won several Grand Slam titles in the 1930s and 1940s. He is perhaps best known for his famous "Battle of the Sexes" match against Billie Jean King in 1973.

Lastly, Renee Riggs (1904-1969) was an American actress and singer who achieved success on Broadway and in Hollywood during the 1920s and 1930s, appearing in numerous musicals and films.

Throughout history, the Riggs surname has been associated with various places, including Riggs Hill in West Virginia, Riggs County in North Dakota, and Riggs Flat in California, all of which likely derived their names from early settlers bearing the Riggs surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Riggs

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

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

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

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