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

Wiggins, 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 Wiggins surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wiggins in America

Wiggins is the 685th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wiggins surname appeared 50,247 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 17 people would have the surname Wiggins.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wiggins 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 Wiggins

The surname Wiggins has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "wigg," meaning a meadow, or "wic," meaning a dwelling or dairy farm. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a meadow or a dairy farm.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various historical records, such as the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1176, where it appears as "Wigingis." The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also mention a "Richard Wyging" from Oxfordshire. Over time, the name evolved into its modern spelling of "Wiggins."

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Wiggins was Sir William Wiggins (c. 1538-1608), an English merchant and Member of Parliament for Ipswich. He was involved in the cloth trade and played a significant role in the development of Ipswich.

Another prominent figure was Captain Thomas Wiggins (c. 1590-1668), an English sea captain and adventurer who is believed to have been among the first Englishmen to visit Australia. He explored the coast of New Holland (modern-day Australia) in the 1620s and wrote accounts of his voyages.

In the realm of literature, Ebenezer Wiggins (1796-1862) was a British poet and writer known for his works on education and moral philosophy. He published several books, including "The Pleasures of Study" and "The True Educator."

Rufus Wiggins (1809-1870) was an American educator and academic who served as the president of the University of Alabama from 1853 to 1856. He played a significant role in the development of the university during his tenure.

In the 20th century, John Wiggins (1920-2008) was a prominent British actor known for his roles in various television series and films, including "Doctor Who" and "The Avengers."

The name Wiggins has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Wigginton in Oxfordshire, which is derived from the Old English "Wiginga tun," meaning the farm or settlement of Wigga's people.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wiggins

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

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

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

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