Explore the Family Name Biggs
The meaning of Biggs
English: variant of Bigg, with plural or post-medieval excrescent -s.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Biggs in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Biggs has seen a slight decline between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, the name was ranked as the 1448th most popular surname, but by 2010 it had fallen to 1581st place, marking a decrease of 9.19%. Despite this drop in ranking, the actual count of people with the Biggs surname remained relatively stable, increasing only slightly from 22,634 to 22,641. The proportion of people per 100,000 with the surname also fell slightly from 8.39 to 7.68.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,448 | #1,581 | -9.19% |
| Count | 22,634 | 22,641 | 0.03% |
| Proportion per 100k | 8.39 | 7.68 | -8.46% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Biggs
The ethnicity associated with the surname Biggs, according to the same Decennial U.S. Census data, shows some shifts in representation over the ten years between 2000 and 2010. The largest ethnic identity tied to the surname is White, representing 82.69% in 2000 and dropping slightly to 81.54% in 2010. The second major ethnic identity is Black, which also saw a slight decrease from 13.23% to 12.89%. Notably, there were increases in the Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic representation, growing from 0.29% to 0.45% and 1.67% to 2.6% respectively. The proportion of those identifying as two or more races also rose from 1.46% to 1.83%, while the American Indian and Alaskan Native representation saw a minor increase from 0.65% to 0.68%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 82.69% | 81.54% | -1.39% |
| Black | 13.23% | 12.89% | -2.57% |
| Hispanic | 1.67% | 2.6% | 55.69% |
| Two or More Races | 1.46% | 1.83% | 25.34% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.65% | 0.68% | 4.62% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.29% | 0.45% | 55.17% |
Biggs ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Biggs is British & Irish, which comprises 55.5% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (23.6%) and Eastern European (3.9%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Italian, Nigerian, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 55.5% |
| French & German | 23.6% |
| Eastern European | 3.9% |
| Other | 17.0% |
Possible origins of the surname Biggs
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Biggs have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 86.10% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 85.90% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 85.70% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 85.70% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 85.60% |
What Biggs haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Biggs is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-P311 and J-M67, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Morris, Wilkinson, Richards, Jones, Davis, Lewis, Lloyd, Simons, Oliver, Phillips.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Biggs surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Biggs have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Biggs" Surname 44.6%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Biggs" Surname 24.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Biggs" Surname 23.0%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Biggs" Surname 20.1%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Biggs?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Biggs are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition