Surname Rigdon - Meaning and Origin
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Rigdon: What does the surname Rigdon mean?
The last name Rigdon is an English patronymic surname meaning "son of Rig". The name is derived from the Anglo-Saxon personal name "Rig", which was used in medieval England and means "tuneful". It is believed to have been originally derived from the Old English elements "strica", meaning "string" or "warrior", and "weard", meaning "guardian”. This indicates that those with this surname may have been connected with music or may have been a protector of some sort.
Over time, members of the Rigdon family could be found in various parts of the country, such as Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Kent, Shropshire, Gloucestershire, and Oxfordshire. Today, the name is most common in regions of the United Kingdom, such as Lancashire, Yorkshire, Essex, Kent, and more.
The Rigdon family was prominent in Middle Ages, with various members taking part in important events or occupations. For example, Thomas Rigdon was among those who took part in King Henry III’s expedition to Gascony in 1230. Another, Thomas Rigdon, a sergeant in the King’s army, defended the city of Cherbourg in 1217 against the kings of France and Catalonia.
Some modern-day Rigdons have gone on to excel in various fields such as business, education, and even politics. For example, Alexander Napoleone Rigdon, an entrepreneur from Kentucky, is the founder and CEO of a successful data asset management company. Alexander Grey Rigdon, a professor of philosophy at Georgia State University, is an expert in logic and ancient philosophy. Lastly, Osborne Rigdon is a former state senator, who served in the Tennessee State Senate from 2007-2011 and currently works for the government as a tax commissioner.
Overall, the Rigdon surname is associated with those who have been successful in various occupations through the ages and have carried their tradition of excellence into the modern era.
Order DNA origin analysisRigdon: Where does the name Rigdon come from?
The last name RIGDON is most commonly found in the United States today. Records indicate that the RIGDON surname was first found in England during the 13th century. From there, it spread to Ireland, Scotland, Australia, Canada, and the United States.
In the US, the RIGDON name is most commonly found in the southeastern region, however it does have a scattered presence in several other states. According to surname maps and stats compiled by the US Census Bureau, during the 2000 US Census, the highest concentration of the RIGDON family name was in Tennessee, followed by South Carolina, Alabama, Arkansas, and Mississippi. In 2019, the name was still most heavily concentrated in the southeast with the greatest numbers found in Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana and Alabama.
The name has experienced some popularity with baby name lists in recent years, and is currently ranked #13,762 in the US according to Nameberry.com. Famous people with the last name RIGDON include actor/director/producer Donny RIGDON, former Arizona governor Emmett RIGDON, and Ohio dentist Dr. Lilburn RIGDON.
Variations of the surname Rigdon
The surname Rigdon is of English origin and has a variety of spellings and variants. Depending on the original source, Rigdon can be spelled Riggden, Rigden, Riddon, Ridon, Rigdone, Riggdon, Riddan, Rydden, Ryddon, and Rideon. All of these spellings have the same potential origin - either originally a topographical name for someone who lives on a ridge or a habitational name for someone from one of the places in England like Rydon, (Devon and Cornwall); Rigden (East Sussex); or Rydden (Wiltshire).
An alternative origin for the Rigon surname could be a diminutive of the name Richard, as in Rick or Ricky and a variation of Ridgeway, from residence near or on a ridge.
As far as variations in surnames of Rigdon, there is the original form Rigdon as well as Ridgdon, Riggdons, Ridgens, Ridgeons, Riggins, Reddons, Readon, Reddins, Reiding, Reddin, Redding, and Reidin.
Although no single history of the surname Rigdon is known, it is possible that it came into use during Elizabethan times. This is because during this period people began to adopt hereditary surnames as a way to distinguish themselves from others and identify a perhaps unique family line.
Therefore, the Rigdon surname probably has multiple spellings due to the evolution of languages over time and also because of different pronunciations passed from one generation to the next.
No matter the original source or variation of the Rigdon surname, it is still popularly used today in the English-speaking world.
Famous people with the name Rigdon
- Anna Marie Rigdon: Baseball pitcher for the US Women's National Team
- Kenneth Rigdon: American production designer and art director
- Jimmy Rigdon: Country music singer
- Terrence Rigdon: American actor
- Heather Rigdon: American actress
- Joe Rigdon: American soccer player
- Donette Rigdon: American singer-songwriter
- Max Rigdon: American professional snowboarder
- Russ Rigdon: American football defensive back
- Eddie Rigdon: American jazz pianist and composer