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

Rigsbee, 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 Rigsbee surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rigsbee in America

Rigsbee is the 22503rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rigsbee surname appeared 1,143 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Rigsbee.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rigsbee 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 Rigsbee

The surname Rigsbee has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "ric" meaning rich or powerful, and "by" meaning a town or village, indicating that the name likely referred to someone from a prosperous settlement.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Chelmsford, Essex, in 1587, where a John Rigsbee was listed as a resident. It's possible that the family hailed from the village of Rissbygate, which no longer exists but was located near Bury St. Edmunds in Suffolk.

In the 17th century, the surname appeared in various spellings such as Rigsby, Riggesbie, and Rigsbye, reflecting the inconsistencies in record-keeping and spelling conventions of the time. One notable figure from this era was William Rigsbee, a merchant and landowner who lived in London in the 1650s.

As the Rigsbee family spread across England, they left their mark in different regions. In the 18th century, a branch of the family settled in the Yorkshire area, with records showing a Thomas Rigsbee born in 1723 in the village of Ripley.

The 19th century saw the name gaining prominence, with several individuals making their mark. One such figure was John Rigsbee (1798-1873), a successful businessman and philanthropist from Birmingham, who established a trust fund for the education of underprivileged children.

Another notable Rigsbee was Elizabeth Rigsbee (1815-1892), a renowned author and poet from Bristol, whose works focused on the lives of working-class families and social issues of the time.

Across the Atlantic, the Rigsbee surname can be traced back to the early days of American colonization. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Richard Rigsbee, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 as an indentured servant.

In the subsequent centuries, the Rigsbee family spread across various parts of the United States, with notable individuals emerging in different fields. One such figure was Samuel Rigsbee (1779-1854), a prominent lawyer and judge in North Carolina, who played a significant role in shaping the state's legal system.

Another notable American Rigsbee was Elizabeth Rigsbee (1871-1947), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights, who founded one of the first schools for girls in the state of Georgia.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rigsbee

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

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

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

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