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Rigby Family History

Rigby Name Meaning

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

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


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

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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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 1911 there were 66 Rigby families living in Ontario. This was about 35% of all the recorded Rigby's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Rigby families in 1911.
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.

What did your Rigby ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Weaver were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Rigby. 27% of Rigby men worked as a Farmer and 34% of Rigby women worked as a Weaver. Some less common occupations for Americans named Rigby were Laborer and Bookkeeper. .

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 1921

  • Farmer
    27%
  • Clerk
    11%
  • Carpenter
    11%
  • Laborer
    9%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Weaver
    34%
  • Stenographer
    27%
  • Civil Servant
    14%
  • Bookkeeper
    14%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

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 Canadian 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 Canada, 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

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