Rigby Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Rigby last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Rigby last name
Meaning of the Rigby last name: ridge farm. Rigby is an English surname from Rigby in Lancashire, from Old Norse hryggr, "ridge", and byr, "farm". It is still common in Lancashire. Eleanor Rigby of the Beatles song made this last name famous, and a gravestone for an Eleanor Rigby stands in Woolton churchyard in Liverpool.
Arms associated with the Rigby name
Coats of arms associated with the Rigby last name belong to the English heraldic tradition, each with its own blazon.
Get your full Rigby family history
This is only a glimpse of the Rigby story. The full Rigby history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Rigby coat of arms. Get the full Rigby report.
Rigby name FAQ
What does the Rigby name mean?
Ridge farm. Common variants include Rigbey.
Where does the Rigby surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Is there a Rigby coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Rigby coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).