The Riggs surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 34,506 people carried this name — #1,011 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 8,550 people counted. That is up 2% from 33,868 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Riggs surname

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘of the ridge’.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 647 · public domain.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

113 families named Riggs, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 601 people lived in those households, 5.3 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 2 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

North Carolina 29
Pennsylvania 15
Connecticut 13
Virginia 12
Maine 11
Maryland 11
Massachusetts 10
New York 6
South Carolina 3
New Hampshire 1
Vermont 1
Rhode Island 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 259 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Riggs in American newspapers,
1906–1915.

Newspaper page from The Crook County Monitor carrying the name Riggs
The Crook County Monitor 1914-06-25
Newspaper page from Ladysmith News carrying the name Riggs
Ladysmith News 1906-07-21
Newspaper page from Eagle River Review carrying the name Riggs
Eagle River Review 1915-09-03

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 252,472 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Riggs in Australian newspapers,
1830s–2000s.

15,237 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Riggs. The most, 3,101, date from the 1880s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in South Australia, at 2.9 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

South Australia 5,424
New South Wales 3,145
Tasmania 2,545
Victoria 2,339
Queensland 1,031
Western Australia 708
ACT (Canberra) 24
Northern Territory 6

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Riggs.

Who carried it

People named Riggs,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Elias Riggs
    Elias Riggs 1810–1901 · missionary
  • John Mankey Riggs
    John Mankey Riggs 1811–1885 · dentist
  • Simon Riggs d. 2024 · computer scientist
  • Grace Riggs 1708–
  • Elisha Riggs 1779–1853 · banker
  • Lewis Riggs 1789–1870 · politician

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Riggs,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States2,273 records

2,273 records of the Riggs name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 1,190
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 483
  • Other U.S. records 600
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Jessie Riggs

    Born 1920 in Mississippi. Enlisted 1941 at Camp Shelby; farm hand from Jefferson County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1980, buried at Natchez National Cemetery, Mississippi.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Ellen Riggs

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the Teutonic from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 29; servant. From Dublin, Ireland; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Ray L. Riggs

    Born 1932; from Edgecombe County, North Carolina. U.S. Army, light weapons infantryman; killed in action 1950 in South Korea.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 2,273 records for Riggs in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Australia310 records

310 records of the Riggs name in Australia
  • Tasmanian Names Index 146
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 108
  • Other Australian records 56
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record James Riggs

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Waterloo, sailing from Portsmouth in 1834. Native of Dorchester, Dorset. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1842.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record William Riggs

    Died 1891 in Emu Bay, Tasmania, aged 71. Will registered in Tasmania in 1891.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Hy E. Riggs

    Arrived in Victoria in 1885 aboard the Star of Russia, aged 27; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 310 records for Riggs in Australia.

Counts: Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada131 records

131 records of the Riggs name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 87
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 17
  • Other Canadian records 27
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Thomas Joseph Riggs

    Buried in 1973 at Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, Nova Scotia, aged 55.

    Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Wilson Riggs

    Died 1961 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Douglas Riggs

    Died in service in 1944.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 131 records for Riggs in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

United Kingdom18 records

18 records of the Riggs name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 16
  • Welsh wills index cards 1
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Sarah Riggs

    Buried in 1792 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 50.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Levi Riggs

    Will proved in 1925.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record W. Riggs

    Royal Fusiliers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 18 records for Riggs in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

France6 records

6 records of the Riggs name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record William Jean Gabriel Riggs

    Born 1915 in Saint Pierre en L'Ile; died 1990 in Martigues (Bouches-du-Rhône).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Guillemette Laura Marie Riggs

    Born 1923 in Saint Pierre en L'Ile; died 1999 in Canada.

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  3. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Reginald John Riggs

    Born 1922 in Great Britain; died 2000 in Cambo-les-Bains (Pyrénées-Atlantiques).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 6 records for Riggs in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Netherlands4 records

4 records of the Riggs name in the Netherlands Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths)
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Leslie Herbert Riggs

    Married in 1946 in Nijmegen; fitter.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record William Riggs

    Married in 1831 in Amsterdam; miller.

    Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Cecilea Riggs

    Died 1907 in 's-Gravenhage, aged 63.

    Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 4 records for Riggs in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Ireland1 record

1 record of the Riggs name in Ireland County Galway graveyard records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Tony Riggs

    Died 1997; buried at Clonburn, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Riggs.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Riggs is.
A volume says what happened to it.

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