Rigby Family History

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Rigby Name Meaning

English (chiefly Lancashire): habitational name from Rigby in Lancashire, named with Old Norse hryggr ‘ridge’ + býr ‘farm’, ‘settlement’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Risby, Digby, Bigby, Frisby, Filby, Raby, Bilby, Wisby, Rigsby, Kilby

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Rigby Ethnicity Estimate

What are the common regions with the Rigby name?

These results combine data from everyone in the AncestryDNA® database with the last name Rigby. The Ancestry® ethnicity regions shown are top five most common on average for these people.

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  • England & Wales

    56%

  • Ireland & Scotland

    20%

  • Germanic Europe

    5%

  • Norway

    4%

  • Sweden

    3%

Your own DNA-based ethnicity estimate will differ from what you see here. To get your personalized ethnicity estimate, order an AncestryDNA® kit.order an AncestryDNA® kit.

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Rigby Family Origin

Where is the Rigby family from?

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1840
    1920
    You can see how Rigby families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Rigby family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Rigby families were found in the UK in 1891. In 1840 there were 25 Rigby families living in Pennsylvania. This was about 32% of all the recorded Rigby's in the USA. Pennsylvania had the highest population of Rigby families in 1840.
    Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Rigby surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

    View Census Data for Rigby

    Rigby Family Occupations

    What did your Rigby ancestors do for a living?

    In 1880, the most common Rigby occupation in the USA was Farmer. 26% of Rigby's were Farmers. Farmer, Keeping House and Laborer were the top 3 reported jobs worked by Rigby. A less common occupation for the Rigby family was Plasterer.

    View Census data for Rigby | Data not to scale

    • Farmer

      26%

    • Keeping House

      7%

    • Laborer

      6%

    • Plasterer

      3%

    Census records can tell you a lot of little known facts about your Rigby ancestors, such as occupation. Occupation can tell you about your ancestor's social and economic status.

    Rigby Historical Records

    What Rigby family records will you find?

    Census Record

    There are 134,000 census records available for the last name Rigby. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Rigby census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

    Search 1940's US census records for Rigby

    Passenger List

    There are 40,000 immigration records available for the last name Rigby. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

    View all Rigby immigration records

    Draft Card

    There are 13,000 military records available for the last name Rigby. For the veterans among your Rigby ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

    View all Rigby military records

    You've only scratched the surface of Rigby family history.

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    Rigby Life Expectancy

    What is the average Rigby lifespan?

    Between 1950 and 2004, in the United States, Rigby life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1955, and highest in 1992. The average life expectancy for Rigby in 1950 was 35, and 70 in 2004.

    View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Rigby

    An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Rigby ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

    Famous Rigby Family Ancestors

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