| ![Show Contents]() Riggins History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The history of the Riggins family goes back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the family living in Cumberland and Lancashire. This local name was derived from the local at the ridge or near a ridge. There are a variety of types of local surnames, some of which include: topographic surnames, which could be given to a person who lived beside any physical feature, such as a hill, stream, church or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Other local names are derived from the names of houses, manors, estates, regions, and entire counties. The surname Riggins comes from the Old English word rigge, or the Old English word hrycg, both of which mean ridge. 1 2 Early Origins of the Riggins familyThe surname Riggins was first found in Shropshire where William de Rigge was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1197-1198. Later and further to the north, John del Rigg was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls for 1332 in Cumberland. 3 Early History of the Riggins familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Riggins research. Another 148 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1410, 1567, 1591, 1601, 1602, 1612, 1613, 1635 and 1705 are included under the topic Early Riggins History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Riggins Spelling VariationsUntil quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Riggins include Rigge, Rigg, Riggs and others. Early Notables of the Riggins familyDistinguished members of the family include Robert Rigge, Rygge or Rugge (died 1410), English Chancellor of the University of Oxford, a native of Devonshire, and possibly a relative of Thomas de Bitton, bishop of Exeter. 4Ambrose Rigg or Rigge (1635-1705), was an English Quaker, born at Brampton in Westmorland. He and his companion Thomas Robertson went to Rochester...
Another 58 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Riggins Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Riggins RankingIn the United States, the name Riggins is the 2,984th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 5  Migration of the Riggins family to Ireland
Some of the Riggins family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Riggins migration to the United States | + |
Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Riggins or a variant listed above:
Riggins Settlers in United States in the 20th Century- Charles Riggins, aged 25, arrived in New York in 1905 aboard the ship "Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse" from Bremen, Germany 6
- John A. Riggins, aged 28, arrived in New York in 1906 aboard the ship "Philadelphia" from Southampton, England 6
- James Riggins, aged 26, arrived in New York in 1921 from Hong Kong 6
| Contemporary Notables of the name Riggins (post 1700) | + |
- Mark Alan Riggins (b. 1957), American Major League Baseball pitching coach for the Chicago Cubs
- Karriem Riggins (b. 1975), American jazz drummer
- Robert John Riggins (b. 1949), nicknamed "The Diesel", former American NFL football running back
- M. C. Riggins, American politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly from Broome County 2nd District, 1937 7
- Jimmy W. Riggins, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from North Carolina, 2008 7
- J. W. Riggins, American politician, Mayor of Waco, Texas, 1900-02, 1914-15 7
- E. Frank Riggins, American Democratic Party politician, Postmaster at Hampton, Virginia, 1968-72 (acting, 1968) 7
- Carl Riggins, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Wisconsin, 1928 7
- Patrick Michael Riggins (b. 1959), retired former National Hockey League goaltender
| Historic Events for the Riggins family | + |
Monongah Mine - Mr. David Riggins (b. 1875), aged 32Scottish American coal miner who was in mine 8 at the Monongah mine on 6th December 1907 when it exploded and collapsed; he died 8
USS Arizona - Mr. Gerald Herald Riggins, American Seaman First Class from California, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 9
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Dum vivo cano
Motto Translation: While alive celebrate.
- Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
- Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 24) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
- Monongah Mining Disaster retrieved on 8th August 2021. (Retrieved fromhttps://usminedisasters.miningquiz.com/saxsewell/monongah.htm).
- Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html
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Riggins migration to the United States 
England
Ireland
