The surname Riggs is of English origin, deriving from the Old Norse personal name Hríggr, which means "sparrow hawk". It is believed that the surname was first introduced to England during the Viking Age, when Norse invaders settled in the region and intermingled with the local population.
Over the centuries, the Riggs surname spread throughout England and eventually to other English-speaking countries around the world. Today, it is one of the most common surnames in the United States, with a total incidence of 45,112 individuals carrying the name.
In the United States, the Riggs surname has a rich and varied history. The earliest recorded instances of individuals with the surname Riggs in America date back to the 17th century, when English colonists began settling in the New World.
One of the most famous bearers of the Riggs surname in American history is Thomas Riggs, who was a prominent figure in the early days of the American Revolution. Riggs played a key role in organizing the resistance against British rule and was a signatory of the Declaration of Independence.
Today, the Riggs surname is most commonly found in the southern and midwestern regions of the United States, with notable concentrations in states such as Texas, Georgia, and Missouri.
Although not as common in the United Kingdom as it is in the United States, the Riggs surname still has a notable presence in England, with an incidence of 2,109 individuals carrying the name.
The Riggs surname is most prevalent in the southern regions of England, particularly in counties such as Kent, Sussex, and Hampshire. It is believed that the surname first spread to these areas during the medieval period, when the Norman Conquest brought a wave of new surnames to England.
Today, the Riggs surname in the UK is often associated with individuals of English descent, although it is not uncommon to find individuals with the surname who have roots in other parts of the British Isles.
Outside of the United States and the United Kingdom, the Riggs surname can be found in a number of other countries, including Australia, Canada, South Africa, and New Zealand. In Australia, there are 1,032 individuals with the surname Riggs, while in Canada there are 1,008.
One interesting fact about the Riggs surname is its presence in countries such as Ghana, Saudi Arabia, and the Philippines, where there are smaller but still significant numbers of individuals carrying the name. In Ghana, for example, there are 380 individuals with the surname Riggs, while in Saudi Arabia there are 197.
Overall, the Riggs surname has a global presence, with individuals carrying the name in over 40 different countries. Its origins in Old Norse and its spread throughout the English-speaking world make it a fascinating subject for those interested in genealogy and surname history.
Globalization has meant that surnames distribute far beyond their country of origin, so that it is possible to get African surnames in Europe or Indian surnames in Oceania. The exact same happens in the case of Riggs, which as you are able to corroborate, it can be said it is a surname that can be found in the majority of the countries of the globe. In the same way you can find nations in which certainly the thickness of individuals with all the surname Riggs is more than in other countries.
The chance of examining on a globe map about which nations hold a greater number of Riggs in the world, helps us a lot. By putting ourselves on the map, for a tangible country, we are able to understand tangible number of people using the surname Riggs, to obtain in this way the particular information of all the Riggs that you could presently find in that country. All this also assists us to comprehend not just in which the surname Riggs originates from, but also in what way the folks who are initially an element of the family that bears the surname Riggs have moved and moved. In the same manner, you are able to see by which places they will have settled and grown up, which is why if Riggs is our surname, it seems interesting to which other nations for the globe it will be possible this one of our ancestors once moved to.