NameCensus.

UK surname

Rigler

German surname meaning "cylinder maker" or "pipe maker."

In the 1881 census there were 80 people recorded with the Rigler surname, ranking it #22,225 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 308, ranked #14,479, up from #22,225 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Poole St James, London parishes and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Devon and Poole.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rigler is 319 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 285.0%.

1881 census count

80

Ranked #22,225

Modern count

308

2016, ranked #14,479

Peak year

2015

319 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rigler had 80 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,225 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 308 in 2016, ranked #14,479.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 217 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities.

Rigler surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Rigler surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rigler 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 17 #30,267
1861 historical 65 #25,618
1881 historical 80 #22,225
1891 historical 121 #21,169
1901 historical 157 #17,577
1911 historical 217 #14,214
1997 modern 287 #13,912
1998 modern 308 #13,661
1999 modern 306 #13,782
2000 modern 306 #13,742
2001 modern 304 #13,619
2002 modern 308 #13,763
2003 modern 314 #13,419
2004 modern 305 #13,752
2005 modern 302 #13,788
2006 modern 300 #13,911
2007 modern 296 #14,172
2008 modern 302 #14,069
2009 modern 303 #14,315
2010 modern 308 #14,452
2011 modern 313 #14,200
2012 modern 306 #14,327
2013 modern 311 #14,368
2014 modern 315 #14,334
2015 modern 319 #14,118
2016 modern 308 #14,479

Geography

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Where Riglers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Poole St James, London parishes, Lambeth, Canford Magna and Portsmouth, Portsea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Devon and Poole. 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 Poole St James Dorset
2 London parishes London 3
3 Lambeth London (South Districts)
4 Canford Magna Dorset
5 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Devon 007 North Devon
2 Poole 015 Poole
3 Poole 003 Poole
4 Poole 007 Poole
5 North Devon 008 North Devon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rigler

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rigler

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Rigler, 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

Baseline UK

Group

Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities

Nationally, the Rigler surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Rigler household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Single-person households are common in these neighbourhoods, and these residents are typically divorced rather than never married. A high proportion of residents were born outside the UK in the EU. There are many young adults, some with young children, but relatively few residents are of normal retirement age or over. Although levels of identification with ethnic minorities are in line with the Supergroup average, individuals identifying with Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is more common than average. High long-term disability rates are observed, and unpaid care is more common than in the rest of the Group. The predominant housing types are terraced houses and flats, which are typically part of the social rented sector. This Group is commonly found in coastal areas and (present-day or former) industrial towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Rigler is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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

These residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Rigler 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

Rigler falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Rigler 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 Rigler, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Rigler

The surname Rigler has its origins in Germany and is derived from the Middle High German word "rigel," which means "bolt" or "bar." This word likely referred to the occupation of a locksmith or a person who made locks and bolts.

The earliest known record of the Rigler surname dates back to the 13th century in the German regions of Bavaria and Swabia. In these regions, the name was often spelled as "Rigeler" or "Riggeler."

One of the earliest recorded references to the Rigler surname can be found in the Codex Traditionum Monasterii Mellicensis, a medieval cartulary from the Melk Abbey in Lower Austria, which mentions a person named "Chunradus Rigeler" in the year 1288.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various records across German-speaking regions, including the Nuremberg Burgerbuch (Citizen's Book) of 1348, which listed a "Hanns Rigeler."

As the surname spread across Europe, it underwent various spelling variations, such as "Rigler," "Riegler," and "Regler." One notable individual with this surname was Johann Philipp Rigler (1681-1738), a German mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of comets.

Another prominent figure was Georg Rigler (1823-1909), an Austrian painter and lithographer known for his landscapes and architectural works.

In the United States, the Rigler surname can be traced back to German immigrants who arrived in the 18th and 19th centuries. One of the earliest recorded instances is Johann Michael Rigler, who settled in Philadelphia in 1749.

Other notable individuals with the Rigler surname include John Rigler (1832-1918), an American politician who served as the 16th Lieutenant Governor of Indiana, and Leo G. Rigler (1896-1979), a renowned American radiologist who made significant contributions to the field of radiology.

Overall, the Rigler surname has a rich history rooted in the German language and culture, with its origins likely tied to the occupation of locksmithing or metalworking.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Rigler families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rigler 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. Dorset leads with 41 Riglers recorded in 1881 and an index of 78.10x.

County Total Index
Dorset 41 78.10x
Hampshire 20 12.20x
Surrey 9 2.31x
Leicestershire 4 4.51x
Yorkshire 3 0.38x
Middlesex 2 0.25x
Royal Navy 2 20.99x
Wiltshire 1 1.41x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Poole St James in Dorset leads with 16 Riglers recorded in 1881 and an index of 812.18x.

Place Total Index
Poole St James 16 812.18x
Portsea 13 40.46x
Longfleet 7 1147.54x
Littlebredy 6 12000.00x
Camberwell 5 9.79x
Christchurch 5 140.45x
Charlton Marshall 4 2222.22x
Leicester St Margaret 4 18.49x
Clapham 3 30.00x
Northowram 3 53.96x
Portland 3 106.38x
Winterborne Whitechurch 3 2500.00x
Portsmouth 2 53.05x
Royal Navy 2 24.54x
Clerkenwell London 1 5.30x
Lambeth 1 1.43x
Melcombe Regis 1 45.87x
Monckton Deverill 1 3333.33x
Powerstock 1 454.55x
Westminster St John 1 10.27x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 8
George 4
James 4
Thomas 4
Henry 3
Albert 2
Charles 2
Herbert 2
Robert 2
Walter 2
Daniel 1
Edgar 1
Edward 1
Eli 1
Frederick 1
Jonas 1
Joseph 1
Louis 1
Will.C. 1
William 1

FAQ

Rigler surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rigler surname in 1881?

In 1881, 80 people were recorded with the Rigler surname. That placed it at #22,225 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rigler surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 308 in 2016. That gives Rigler a modern rank of #14,479.

What does the Rigler surname mean?

German surname meaning "cylinder maker" or "pipe maker."

What does the Rigler map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Rigler 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.