Riggle History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Riggle is a name whose history is connected to the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Riggle family once lived in a settlement called Wrigley, which experts theorize was in the West Riding of Yorkshire. The surname Riggle belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Riggle family

The surname Riggle was first found in Wrigley Head, now part of Failsworth in Greater Manchester. 1 "This name seems to have passed over the borders from the West Riding of Yorkshire into South-East Lancashire, via Saddleworth, in which district it still possesses a strong foothold." 2

Ironically, the first record of the family was not Saddleworth, but in Derbyshire where Wills de Wriggeley was listed at Brampton, near Chesterfield in 1327-1328 as per the Lay Subsidy Rolls. Here the family held estates well into the 16th century as in 1556 Ralph Wrigly was appointed priest at Kirk Langley, by Henry Pole, Lord of the Manor. Through the years the family continued to be quite evident in Longford, west of Derby. Roger Wrigley was a priest at Prestwich in 1549 and curate at Oldham (1563-1575.)

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 has only one entry for the family, that of Willelmus Wryglegh; but the source Wills at Chester, has the following: John Wrgley, of Millington, 1576; John Wrigley, of Saddleworth, 1620; and Margaret Wrigley, of Saddleworth, 1635. 2

The American "Chewing Gum" Wrigleys trace back to Broadhead, Broadmeadow and Knowl, Yorkshire c. 1681.

Early History of the Riggle family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Riggle research. Another 124 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1524, 1539, 1543, 1766, 1808, 1832, 1833, 1842, 1861, 1909 and 1932 are included under the topic Early Riggle History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Riggle Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Riggle family name include Wrigley, Wrigly, Rigley, Riggeley and others.

Early Notables of the Riggle family

More information is included under the topic Early Riggle Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Riggle Ranking

In the United States, the name Riggle is the 8,026^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3

Riggle migration to the United States +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Riggle surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Riggle Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Arthur E. Riggle, aged 23, who landed in America, in 1919
M. Herbert Riggle, aged 50, who settled in Akron, Indiana, in 1923
Minnie Riggle, aged 49, who immigrated to Akron, Indiana, in 1923

Contemporary Notables of the name Riggle (post 1700) +

Beth Riggle (b. 1987), American gold and bronze medalist Paralympic swimmer at the 2004 Summer Paralympics
Robert Allen "Rob" Riggle Jr. (b. 1970), American actor and comedian, known for his work as a correspondent on Comedy Central's The Daily Show from 2006 to 2008
Rob Riggle, American Primetime Emmy nominated actor and comedian, known for his work in 21 Jump Street (2012), The Hangover (2009) and The Other Guys (2010)
Steve Riggle, American founding pastor and current Senior Pastor of Grace Community Church, a megachurch in Houston, Texas
Sallie A. Riggle, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for West Virginia State House of Delegates from Tyler County, 1928 4
Janice Riggle Huie (b. 1946), American bishop of the United Methodist Church

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 24) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html