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Rigby Family History

Rigby Surname Meaning

English (Lancashire): habitational name from Ribby in Lancashire named with Old Scandinavian hryggr ‘ridge’ + bȳ ‘farmstead village’.

Compare Rigsby.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Rigby family from?

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 United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 5,962 Rigby families living in Lancashire. This was about 71% of all the recorded Rigby's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Rigby families in 1891.
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.
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What did your Rigby ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Rigby. 10% of Rigby men worked as a General Labourer and 66% of Rigby women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Rigby were Colliery Hewer and Housewife.

View Census Data for Rigby | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    10%
  • Incapacitated
    3%
  • Builders Labourer
    3%
  • Colliery Hewer
    2%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    66%
  • Cotton Weaver
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%
  • Housewife
    2%

What Rigby family records will you find?

Census Records

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 UK census records for Rigby

Passenger Lists

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 UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Rigby immigration records

Draft Cards

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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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.

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