NameCensus.

UK surname

Rigg

An English topographic surname denoting someone who lived near a ridge or steep hill.

In the 1881 census there were 2,520 people recorded with the Rigg surname, ranking it #1,771 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,720, ranked #2,468, down from #1,771 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Halifax and Batley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Barrow-in-Furness, South Lakeland and Rochdale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rigg is 2,904 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 7.9%.

1881 census count

2,520

Ranked #1,771

Modern count

2,720

2016, ranked #2,468

Peak year

1901

2,904 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rigg had 2,520 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,771 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,720 in 2016, ranked #2,468.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,904 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Rigg surname distribution map

The map shows where the Rigg surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Rigg surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rigg over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 1,946 #1,492
1861 historical 1,928 #1,511
1881 historical 2,520 #1,771
1891 historical 2,782 #1,694
1901 historical 2,904 #1,928
1911 historical 2,896 #1,800
1997 modern 2,764 #2,321
1998 modern 2,850 #2,350
1999 modern 2,851 #2,362
2000 modern 2,864 #2,351
2001 modern 2,833 #2,318
2002 modern 2,843 #2,361
2003 modern 2,758 #2,373
2004 modern 2,726 #2,395
2005 modern 2,722 #2,374
2006 modern 2,705 #2,389
2007 modern 2,740 #2,389
2008 modern 2,752 #2,398
2009 modern 2,795 #2,414
2010 modern 2,804 #2,444
2011 modern 2,799 #2,423
2012 modern 2,688 #2,467
2013 modern 2,725 #2,477
2014 modern 2,728 #2,489
2015 modern 2,703 #2,488
2016 modern 2,720 #2,468

Geography

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Where Riggs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Halifax, Batley, Dalton-in-Furness and Dewsbury. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Barrow-in-Furness, South Lakeland, Rochdale and Copeland. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Rochdale Lancashire
2 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Batley Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Dalton-in-Furness Lancashire
5 Dewsbury Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Barrow-in-Furness 001 Barrow-in-Furness
2 South Lakeland 012 South Lakeland
3 Rochdale 001 Rochdale
4 Barrow-in-Furness 002 Barrow-in-Furness
5 Copeland 008 Copeland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rigg

These lists show first names that appear often with the Rigg surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rigg

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Rigg, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Rigg surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Rigg household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Rigg is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Rigg is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Rigg falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Rigg is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Rigg, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Rigg

The surname RIGG is of English origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "hrycg," which means "ridge" or "hill." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name lived in areas characterized by ridges or hills.

The name RIGG was particularly prevalent in the northern counties of England, such as Yorkshire and Northumberland. It is thought to have originated as a topographic surname, describing the physical landscape where the first bearers of the name resided.

Historical records suggest that the RIGG surname can be traced back to the 13th century. One of the earliest known references to the name is found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, which mentions a John del Rigge.

In the 16th century, the RIGG surname was also documented in the Subsidy Rolls of Cumberland in 1547, where a Thomas Rigge was listed. This indicates that the name had spread to other parts of northern England by that time.

The RIGG surname has also been associated with various place names in England. For instance, the village of Riggindale in North Yorkshire is thought to have derived its name from the presence of early RIGG families in the area.

Notable individuals with the RIGG surname throughout history include:

1. John Rigg (1753-1808), an English poet and writer from Sunderland. 2. Jonathan Rigg (1795-1859), an English Methodist minister and author from Yorkshire. 3. William Rigg (1828-1909), an English solicitor and Liberal politician who served as a Member of Parliament. 4. James Rigg (1839-1920), an English classical scholar and headmaster of Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School in Wakefield. 5. Arthur Rigg (1860-1937), an English cricketer who played for Yorkshire County Cricket Club.

While the RIGG surname has its roots in northern England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including North America and Australia, due to migration and settlement patterns.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Rigg families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rigg surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 996 Riggs recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.42x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 996 3.42x
Yorkshire 457 1.88x
Cumberland 301 14.23x
Westmorland 206 38.16x
Middlesex 85 0.35x
Cheshire 57 1.05x
Durham 51 0.70x
Lanarkshire 41 0.52x
Kent 26 0.31x
Surrey 24 0.20x
Ayrshire 23 1.25x
Kirkcudbrightshire 19 5.34x
Renfrewshire 19 1.00x
Northumberland 18 0.49x
Stirlingshire 16 1.77x
Essex 15 0.31x
Midlothian 13 0.40x
Dumfriesshire 12 2.21x
Devon 11 0.22x
Norfolk 11 0.29x
Suffolk 11 0.37x
Warwickshire 11 0.18x
Shropshire 9 0.42x
Staffordshire 9 0.11x
Argyllshire 7 1.02x
Fife 7 0.48x
Denbighshire 6 0.65x
Selkirkshire 6 2.70x
Wiltshire 6 0.28x
Aberdeenshire 4 0.18x
Hampshire 4 0.08x
Perthshire 4 0.36x
Somerset 4 0.10x
Sussex 4 0.10x
Cornwall 3 0.11x
Derbyshire 3 0.08x
Glamorgan 3 0.07x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.09x
Gloucestershire 2 0.04x
Leicestershire 2 0.07x
Berkshire 1 0.05x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.07x
Clackmannanshire 1 0.49x
Hertfordshire 1 0.06x
Inverness-shire 1 0.14x
Isle of Man 1 0.22x
Lincolnshire 1 0.03x
Orkney 1 0.37x
Worcestershire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Blatchinworth in Lancashire leads with 140 Riggs recorded in 1881 and an index of 210.97x.

Place Total Index
Blatchinworth 140 210.97x
Wuerdle Wardle 111 125.45x
Soothill 73 83.03x
Spotland 54 16.66x
Dalton In Furness 46 40.89x
Barrow In Furness 40 10.09x
Wardleworth 39 23.42x
Kendal 37 37.44x
Caldewgate 31 26.75x
Cleator 30 34.08x
Keswick 29 107.29x
Butterworth 28 39.43x
Kirkby Ireleth 27 185.69x
Liverpool 27 1.53x
Stansfield 25 27.91x
Armley 24 22.36x
Newton 24 10.68x
Oldham 24 2.55x
Barony 23 1.14x
Ulverston 23 27.09x
Castleton 22 7.56x
Egremont 21 41.65x
Hawkshead Monk Coniston 21 206.69x
Newchurch 21 8.81x
Over Staveley 21 342.02x
Halifax 20 5.60x
Horton In Bradford 20 5.26x
Rawdon 19 66.29x
Baldersby 17 696.72x
Brotton 17 53.51x
Kensington London 17 1.24x
Ashton Under Lyne 16 2.51x
Great Bolton 16 4.14x
Preston 16 2.05x
Todmorden Walsden 16 20.49x
Manningham 15 5.00x
North Meols 15 5.26x
West Derby 15 1.76x
Wortley In Bramley 15 7.78x
Islington London 14 0.59x
Millom 14 21.60x
Manchester 13 0.99x
Undermilbeck 13 73.03x
Cowpe Lench Newhall Hey 12 38.54x
Greenwich 12 3.07x
Stockton On Tees 12 3.41x
Tranmere 12 6.02x
Bowling 11 4.56x
Buttermere 11 1028.04x
Church Coniston 11 134.64x
Falkirk 11 5.19x
Govan 11 0.56x
Langdale 11 178.57x
Lower Allithwaite 11 157.59x
Mile End Old Town 11 2.84x
Moss Side 11 7.17x
North Bierley 11 8.37x
Ambleside 10 59.77x
Pennington In Ulverston 10 68.97x
Burgh By Sands 9 131.58x
Burton 9 158.45x
Everton 9 0.97x
Lofthouse 9 24.77x
Lower Bebington 9 27.94x
Openshaw 9 6.59x
Stainton 9 274.39x
Upper Holker 9 131.00x
West Broughton 9 91.37x
Yarm 9 72.06x
Arlecdon 8 14.22x
Chatham 8 3.47x
Colton 8 52.67x
Danby Wiske 8 331.95x
Leeds 8 0.58x
Lowther 8 202.53x
Stockport 8 2.87x
Sudbury St Gregory 8 33.36x
Thornaby 8 8.80x
Wakefield 8 4.28x
Westminster St John 8 2.67x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Rigg surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 215
Sarah 106
Elizabeth 92
Jane 83
Margaret 54
Ann 50
Hannah 43
Annie 38
Alice 26
Martha 25
Agnes 22
Eliza 19
Isabella 19
Ellen 17
Emma 17
Emily 16
Betty 14
Ada 11
Ruth 11
Edith 10
Betsy 9
Catherine 9
Susannah 9
Harriet 8
Dorothy 7
Esther 7
Louisa 7
Clara 6
Fanny 6
Grace 6
Susan 6
Caroline 5
Eleanor 5
Maria 5
Amelia 4
Charlotte 4
Eliz. 4
Florence 4
Frances 4
Jessie 4
Lucy 4
Selina 4
Sophia 4
Amy 3
Ester 3
Eva 3
Harriett 3
Margt. 3
Marion 3
Nancy 3

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Rigg surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 190
William 138
James 98
Thomas 84
George 67
Joseph 47
Robert 38
Charles 31
Edward 29
Henry 29
Richard 29
Samuel 22
Isaac 15
Alfred 14
Arthur 13
Jonathan 12
Walter 11
Abraham 9
Fred 9
Harry 8
Herbert 8
Albert 7
David 7
Frederick 7
Ernest 5
Wm. 5
Anthony 4
Benjamin 4
Christopher 4
Daniel 4
Frank 4
Hugh 4
Robt. 4
Stephen 4
Wilson 4
Abram 3
Andrew 3
Ben 3
Francis 3
Jesse 3
Jno. 3
Mark 3
Matthew 3
Tom 3
Wright 3
Christr. 2
Frances 2
Josh. 2
Levi 2
Miles 2

FAQ

Rigg surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rigg surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,520 people were recorded with the Rigg surname. That placed it at #1,771 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rigg surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,720 in 2016. That gives Rigg a modern rank of #2,468.

What does the Rigg surname mean?

An English topographic surname denoting someone who lived near a ridge or steep hill.

What does the Rigg map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Rigg bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.