Explore the Family Name Bigham
The meaning of Bigham
Scottish (Wigtownshire) and Irish: habitational name from either Bigholm in Beith parish (Ayrshire) or Bigholms in Langholm parish (Dumfriesshire). The second element of the placename is from Older Scots holm (Old Norse holmr) ‘islet’, ‘raised land in a marsh’, ‘a stretch of low-lying land beside a river; a meadow’. The first element may be an unattested Older Scots bigge, a shortened form of bigging ‘building’. The name was taken to Ulster in the 17th and 18th centuries, where it was used interchangeably with Bingham.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Bigham in the United States?
The surname Bigham, according to data from the Decennial U.S. Census, has seen a slight shift in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 5786th most popular surname, but dropped to the 6193rd position by 2010, indicating a decrease of 7.03%. However, the actual count of individuals with the Bigham surname has marginally increased within the same period, from 5473 in 2000 to 5525 in 2010, which represents a growth rate of 0.95%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,786 | #6,193 | -7.03% |
| Count | 5,473 | 5,525 | 0.95% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.03 | 1.87 | -7.88% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Bigham
In terms of ethnic identity, data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows that the Bigham surname is predominantly associated with the White ethnic group, although there was a slight decrease in this association from 85.20% in 2000 to 83.10% in 2010. The second most common ethnic identity associated with this surname is Black, which saw an increase from 11.97% to 12.81% over the decade. There was also a notable increase in the Hispanic association, rising from 0.90% to 1.76%, representing a significant change of 95.56%. Other associations such as Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native have seen modest increases, while the representation of two or more races increased from 1.32% to 1.61%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 85.2% | 83.1% | -2.46% |
| Black | 11.97% | 12.81% | 7.02% |
| Hispanic | 0.9% | 1.76% | 95.56% |
| Two or More Races | 1.32% | 1.61% | 21.97% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.35% | 0.42% | 20% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.27% | 0.31% | 14.81% |
Bigham 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 Bigham is British & Irish, which comprises 58.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (24.8%) and Scandinavian (2.8%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, Indigenous American, Nigerian, and Italian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 58.9% |
| French & German | 24.8% |
| Scandinavian | 2.8% |
| Other | 13.6% |
Possible origins of the surname Bigham
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 Bigham have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Lancashire, United Kingdom | 92.70% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 92.70% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 92.70% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 92.70% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 91.90% |
What Bigham 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 Bigham is I-M26, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup I-M26 is descended from haplogroup I-M170. Other common haplogroups include R-Z18065 and R-L21, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Marquis, Fullmer, Barajas, Reddick, Riddick, Del Valle, Healy, Pichardo, Arce, Hurley.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Bigham surname are: H1, N, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins I-M170Your 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 Bigham 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.
"Bigham" Surname 56.1%
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.
"Bigham" Surname 40.5%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Bigham" Surname 23.3%
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.
"Bigham" Surname 16.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Bigham?
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 Bigham are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition