Explore the Family Name Riggs
The meaning of Riggs
English (Dorset): 1. variant of Ricks with voicing of /ks/ to /gs/. 2. variant of Rigg, with post-medieval excrescent -s.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Riggs in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Riggs has seen a slight decline between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Riggs ranked 947th in popularity but slipped to 1011th by 2010, representing a 6.76% decrease. However, the count of individuals with this surname increased slightly from 33,868 in 2000 to 34,506 in 2010, a modest rise of 1.88%. The proportion of the surname per 100,000 people declined by 6.77%, falling from 12.55 to 11.7.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #947 | #1,011 | -6.76% |
| Count | 33,868 | 34,506 | 1.88% |
| Proportion per 100k | 12.55 | 11.7 | -6.77% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Riggs
In terms of ethnicity, according to the Decennial U.S. Census, there were some shifts in the ethnic identity associated with the surname Riggs between 2000 and 2010. Those identifying as Hispanic showed the greatest increase, rising by 65.28%, although they still represented only 2.38% of individuals with the Riggs surname. The percentage of Riggs identifiers who were Asian/Pacific Islander also increased significantly, growing by 38.24%. Black and American Indian/Alaskan Native populations experienced smaller increases of 4.46% and 8.22% respectively. Meanwhile, the percentage of those identifying as White decreased slightly by 1.98%. The category of two or more races saw an increase of 22.97%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 89.44% | 87.67% | -1.98% |
| Black | 5.83% | 6.09% | 4.46% |
| Hispanic | 1.44% | 2.38% | 65.28% |
| Two or More Races | 1.48% | 1.82% | 22.97% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.46% | 1.58% | 8.22% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.34% | 0.47% | 38.24% |
Riggs 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 Riggs is British & Irish, which comprises 56.7% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (23.6%) and Scandinavian (3.8%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Indigenous American, and Nigerian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 56.7% |
| French & German | 23.6% |
| Scandinavian | 3.8% |
| Other | 15.8% |
Possible origins of the surname Riggs
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 Riggs have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 90.40% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 90.10% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 90.00% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 90.00% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 89.80% |
What Riggs 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 Riggs is R-A1786, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-A1786 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L21 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Crisp, Bracken, Davidson, Milne, Mills, Davison, White, Black, Evans, Newman.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Riggs 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 Riggs 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.
"Riggs" Surname 42.6%
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.
"Riggs" Surname 28.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Riggs" Surname 22.9%
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.
"Riggs" Surname 21.4%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Riggs?
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 Riggs are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition