Surname Riggens - Meaning and Origin
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Riggens: What does the surname Riggens mean?
The surname Riggens is an English patronymic surname, which means son of Rigo or Riggo. This surname is derived from the Old German personal name of Riggo which evolved into the Middle English name of Ryk. The root of the name Riggo is the Old Germanic root word “ric” meaning ruler or leader.
There are other Middle English variations to the spelling of the name Riggens, such as Riggin, Rygge, Riegen, Reagen, Cygen, and Rigwin. The family with this name are known to have been seated in a region of Northumberland, England from the late 1600s onwards.
The coat of arms associated with the surname Riggens is an Argent Shield with an anchor in the upper left quarter, on a chief gold with a red eagle. The crest is a rampant lion rampant red holding an anchor argent. This Coat of Arms symbolizes qualities of leadership, strength, protection and victory.
The Riggens is a family name that has a long history of belonging to a long line of powerful leaders and rulers. The surname still exists today with descendants of the Riggens family scattered all over the world.
Order DNA origin analysisRiggens: Where does the name Riggens come from?
The last name Riggens is most commonly found in the United States and Canada. According to the 2019 US Census Bureau, the last name Riggens is the 29,393rd most frequent last name in the country. The majority of households with the last name Riggens are located in states across the Midwest, including Ohio, Wisconsin, and Illinois. It is also fairly widespread across the Northeast and South.
In Canada, the last name Riggens is more sparsely distributed, but still fairly common in certain areas. It appears regularly in the Maritime provinces and the mid-western provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta.
In terms of other countries, Riggens is also relatively common in the United Kingdom, Norway, Ireland, and Germany. In Scotland, it is the 7,836th most common family name. In Northern Ireland, according to the 2011 census, Riggens was the 131st-most common family name given.
Although the surname Riggens is not common everywhere, there are still pockets of people throughout the world who can trace it back up the family tree. This makes it a name to remember and a connection to a shared past.
Variations of the surname Riggens
Riggens is a name of English origin typically found in the Yorkshire region. It is also spelled with fewer letters, Rigens being the more simple variant. Other variants include Ridges, Riggen, and Ridgeon.
Riggens may also be found in the forms of Riggen, Ridgens, Ridgeon, Ridgen, Ridget, Ridges and Ridgest. In addition to these, some spelling variations are known to exist such as Ridgen, Ridgens and Ridgeon.
The surname Riggen is derived from the Old English words hrycg ("ridge") and ēnne ("an"). This means that the surname Riggens actually means 'one who lives near a ridge'.
Surnames similar to Riggens in origin include Rigby, Ridings, Ridgeway, Ridgley, Rigden and Ridler.
It is important to note that different branches of the Riggens family may have different spellings. Some of the other spellings of Riggens that some branches may use are Ridges, Ridgens, Ridgeon, Ridgen, Ridget, Ridges and Ridgest.
Also, the surname can be found in Scotland, Ireland, Wales and even America. In some parts of the English speaking world, there may be families who spelled the name differently or an alternate origin.
In conclusion, Riggens is an English surname originating from the Old English word ‘hrycg’, and it has various spellings and surnames of the same origin such as Riggen, Ridgens, Ridgeon, Ridgen, Ridget, Ridges and Ridgest. Some branches of the Riggens family may have different spellings, and the surname can also be found in Scotland, Ireland, Wales and America.
Famous people with the name Riggens
- Elizabeth Riggens: Known for her Broadway roles in productions of Kismet and The Red Mill.
- David Riggens: Former NBA player who played for the Seattle SuperSonics, New Jersey Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, and Cleveland Cavaliers.
- Kenneth Riggens: American aviator and World War I flying ace, credited with shooting down seven German airplanes.
- Edgar Riggens: British Olympic athlete who competed in the 1920 Summer Olympics.
- Grace Riggens: American actress and stage director, known for her role in The Wind Made Her Hair, a 1920 film.
- James Riggens: American actor, writer, and director, best known for his role in the film It Happened One Night.
- Thomas Riggens: Former NHL hockey player who played for the Philadelphia Flyers.
- Brant Riggens: Canadian actor, best known for his work on the television show The L Word.
- Margaret Riggens: English author and illustrator, best known for her series of books focusing on the lives of women in the Victorian era.
- Will Riggens: American journalist and author, best known for his novel, Year of Wonders.