Surname Rigg - Meaning and Origin
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Rigg: What does the surname Rigg mean?
The last name Rigg is of Old Norse and Scottish origin and it typically indicates geographical origins. It comes from the Old Norse term 'hryggr', which means 'ridge'. It was commonly given to individuals who lived on or near the ridge of a hill or mountain. Thus, it is a 'topographical surname', used among those who lived in or around such a location or feature.
Over the years, numerous forms of the name have appeared, including Rig, Rigg, Riggs, among others. These variations only enhanced the popularity of the surname as more and more people started using them as geographical markers and identifiers.
Aside from Scotland, the name also had prominence in the North of England, especially in places like Yorkshire and Lancashire, mostly due to Viking invasions and settlements. It has since spread in use throughout England, Scotland, and even to other parts of the world as people migrated.
Despite its Norse and Scottish roots and older topographic uses, today Rigg is more known as a family name used across different regions and cultures worldwide.
Order DNA origin analysisRigg: Where does the name Rigg come from?
The last name Rigg is most coomonly found in England, Scotland, and Ireland. In England, it is mainly concentrated in the northern counties, with many people bearing the name having origins in the Yorkshire region. In Scotland, the name is particularly prevalent in Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway. In Ireland, the name is mainly found in the northern counties of Ulster.
In the United States, the surname is mainly found in the northern states that were once a part of the New England colonies such as Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. It has become quite dispersed throughout the rest of the United States, with notable concentrations of Riggs being found in Texas, California, Ohio, and Michigan.
Interestingly, the surname Rigg is also found in Australia, where it is particularly present in the states of South Australia and Victoria. This indicates that the surname may have followed waves of migration from England to Australia during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Today, the surname Rigg can be found in many other countries in the world, especially those with large populations of British and Irish immigrants.
Variations of the surname Rigg
Rigg is an Old English-origin surname with variants, alternate spellings, and variations from other languages.
The primary form of the surname is Rigg, as well as other variants such as Rigge, Rig, Rigs, Rygge, Rugge, and Rygg, originating from a composed old English occupational and locational surname. The occupation is derived from the word 'rygg', meaning 'ridge', which likely signified a worker who plowed or cultivated ridges between plowed fields, or a keeper of a ridge used for defensive purposes. Early records contain Rygg garrison, on the border of Cumberland and Westmorland, and Rygg wood, in the parish of Lamplugh, Cumberland.
The surname Riggle is believed to be German in origin, from the old German 'Regeln', a derivative of the German word 'regal', which itself derived from the Latin 'regalis', meaning royal or regal. This surname emerged from Bavaria, the Black Forest area of Germany, and was likely bestowed upon someone who acted on behalf of the royal court.
The surname Rugg is derived from the topographical term 'rugge', which is Middle English and likely derived from the Old English word 'ruc', meaning 'a hillock'. Early recorded examples of this surname date back to 1230 in Gloucestershire, when the Hundred Rolls recorded a Roger de Rugge.
In addition, other spellings in different languages include Reggio (Italian), Riegger (Swiss-German), and Rigby and Rigbey (Irish), all derived from the original old English form of the surname.
Famous people with the name Rigg
- Diana Rigg– British actress who was known for her role as Emma Peel on the Avengers in the 1960s.
- Carl Rigg: English footballer who plays as a defender for Southport.
- Anna Riggs Miller: American actress, songwriter and singer who starred in Hairspray on Broadway.
- Natalie Rigg: British cellist and professor at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.
- Richard Rigg: American actor who appeared in the TV series Boston Legal and White Collar.
- Jill Riggs: Australian figure skater who competed at the Winter Olympic Games in Calgary in 1988.
- Lesley Riggs: American singer who was part of the Rushmore cast in the movie Mrs. Doubtfire.
- Pam Rigg: British blues and jazz singer.
- David Riggs: American classical pianist and professor at the Northwestern University.
- Rosalind Riggs: Scottish novelist, poet and screenwriter who wrote the novel The Bell Jar.