Explore the Family Name Briggs
The meaning of Briggs
English: variant of Brigg, with post-medieval excrescent -s, from Middle English brig(g) (Old Norse bryggja), the northern and Scottish word for bridge, for someone who lived by a bridge or who came from any of the places called from the word. History: The surname Briggs is found chiefly in West Yorkshire. A family of gentry have held lands at Keighley in West Yorkshire continuously for 500 years. The mathematician Henry Briggs (1561–1631), who invented logarithms, was born in Halifax, Yorkshire, England.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Briggs in the United States?
The surname Briggs has seen a shift in its ranking and count over the decade as per the data of the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, Briggs was ranked 522 in popularity and increased to rank 572 in 2010, indicating a decrease in popularity by 9.58%. Despite this, the number of individuals bearing the Briggs surname increased slightly by 1.94% from 57,297 in 2000 to 58,408 in 2010. The proportion of individuals named Briggs per 100k showed a decline from 21.24 in 2000 to 19.8 in 2010, a decrease of 6.78%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #522 | #572 | -9.58% |
| Count | 57,297 | 58,408 | 1.94% |
| Proportion per 100k | 21.24 | 19.8 | -6.78% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Briggs
When it comes to the ethnic identity associated with the surname Briggs, the Decennial U.S. Census data indicates some shifts over the decade. Most notably, there was a 55.56% increase in individuals of Hispanic ethnicity, rising from 1.44% in 2000 to 2.24% in 2010. Furthermore, people of Asian/Pacific Islander ethnicity and those identifying as two or more races also saw increases of 18.6% and 28.05% respectively. The percentage of White individuals with the Briggs surname decreased by 2.53%, while Black individuals saw a slight increase of 3.17%. Lastly, the American Indian and Alaskan Native population also experienced growth with an increase of 9.84%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 77.89% | 75.92% | -2.53% |
| Black | 17.99% | 18.56% | 3.17% |
| Hispanic | 1.44% | 2.24% | 55.56% |
| Two or More Races | 1.64% | 2.1% | 28.05% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.61% | 0.67% | 9.84% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.43% | 0.51% | 18.6% |
Briggs 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 Briggs is British & Irish, which comprises 52.7% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (24.5%) and Scandinavian (4.0%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Nigerian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe
| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 52.7% |
| French & German | 24.5% |
| Scandinavian | 4.0% |
| Other | 18.8% |
Possible origins of the surname Briggs
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 Briggs have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 86.90% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 86.70% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 86.50% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 86.40% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 86.30% |
What Briggs 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 Briggs is R-FGC14877, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-FGC14877 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-M405, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Allen, Matthews, Benson, Smith, Davis, Lewis, Wilson, Thompson, Price, Brown.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Briggs surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343
Your paternal lineage may be linked to King Louis XVI
The rule of France by men of the House of Bourbon began with King Henri IV in 1589 C.E. and continued until the beheading of his direct paternal descendant King Louis XVI in 1793. Several years ago, researchers analyzed a mummified head and a blood-soaked cloth that they believed might belong to the two kings, and concluded that the royal paternal line belonged to haplogroup G. In a more recent study, however, a different set of researchers tested three living men who are direct descendants of the Bourbon kings. Their efforts revealed that the male lineage of the House of Bourbon is actually a branch of haplogroup R-M405.
Your 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 Briggs 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.
"Briggs" Surname 42.2%
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.
"Briggs" Surname 28.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Briggs" Surname 23.2%
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.
"Briggs" Surname 16.1%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Briggs?
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 Briggs are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition