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

Rigsby, 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 Rigsby surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rigsby in America

Rigsby is the 4941st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rigsby surname appeared 7,124 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Rigsby.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rigsby 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 Rigsby

The surname Rigsby originates from England and dates back to the early medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "hrycg" meaning ridge and "by" meaning village or settlement, essentially translating to "ridge village" or "village on the ridge."

This toponymic surname likely originated in areas with prominent ridges or hill settlements, potentially in regions like Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, or Derbyshire. Similar spelling variations from historical records include Riggesbie, Rigesbie, and Riggsby.

One of the earliest known references to the name Rigsby can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Rigesbie" in connection with lands in Lincolnshire. This suggests that the name was already established by the late 11th century.

Notable individuals with the surname Rigsby include:

1. Sir Edward Rigsby (c. 1350-1425), a prominent English landowner and knight who served in the Hundred Years' War under King Henry V.

2. John Rigsby (1590-1662), an English Puritan clergyman and author who published several religious works during the 17th century.

3. Mary Rigsby (1702-1778), an English poet and playwright whose works gained popularity in literary circles of the 18th century.

4. William Rigsby (1804-1879), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a renowned explorer and cartographer.

5. Elizabeth Rigsby (1856-1932), an American educator and suffragist who played a significant role in the women's rights movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The surname Rigsby has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Rigsby in Lincolnshire, Rigsby Hill in Yorkshire, and Rigsby Wold in the East Riding of Yorkshire, further reinforcing its toponymic origins and connection to geographical features like ridges and hills.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rigsby

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

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

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

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