BIGG
The surname Bigg is of English provenance and is situated within the broader cultural landscape of the British Isles. In English onomastic studies it is classified as a nickname surname, deriving from the Middle English word bigge, which means “large” or “big.” The habitational element of the name arises in some cases from the Old English word bigga, also meaning “large,” and from the Old English term beacn for “beacon,” suggesting a topographic or occupational origin in relation to a prominent mound or beacon site.
Historical documents attest to the surname in a number of spellings, including Bigg, Bigge, Biggs, and Bigges. The earliest recorded instance is that of Aelric Bigga in the charters known as the Old Bynames Register, dated 1036. Subsequent entries include Walter Bigg in the 1177 Pipe Rolls of Suffolk and Henry Bigge in the 1195 Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire. One of these early mentions is of Henry de Bigges of Cambridgeshire in 1327, where the name is interpreted as meaning “from Bigg,” indicating a locational relationship with a place such as the village of New Bigg in Lincolnshire, whose name means “new building.”
The surname has been documented across several counties in England. Initial records are scattered through Norfolk in East Anglia, Suffolk, and Gloucestershire in the twelfth century, and later spread to Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire. In contemporary times the surname is no longer concentrated in any one region but can still be found in moderate numbers throughout the United Kingdom, and in English‑speaking countries such as the United States and Australia.
Variations of the surname include Biggs, Bigge, and in some contexts a single Big. Other forms that have appeared in historical sources are Bigger, Bygg, Bigga, Biggen, Biggin, and Biggings. These forms reflect changes in spelling brought about by dialectal pronunciation, illiteracy, and the natural evolution of language over centuries.
Notable individuals bearing the surname have contributed to its recognition. Among them are the English botanist Frederick Bigg and the American rapper Christopher Wallace, better known as The Notorious B.I.G., whose stage name references the surname’s English origins. While the surname traditionally denoted a large or strong person, the historical source text notes that the nickname could, in some anecdotes, be applied to a small person in an ironic fashion, a possibility that is accepted in contemporary scholarship.
Typical given names associated with the Bigg surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- Geoffrey
- James
- John
- Julian
- Martin
- Matthew
- Michael
- Robert
- Stephen
- Thomas
Female
- Annette
- Emma
- Fiona
- Jennifer
- Joanna
- Joyce
- Katie
- Lisa
- Margaret
- Sarah
- Sharon
- Shirley
- Susan
- Valerie
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Bigg in...
Braille
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Morse
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Semaphore
There are approximately 850 people named Bigg in the UK. That makes it roughly the 8,394th most common surname in Britain. Around 13 in a million people in Britain are named Bigg.
Surname type: Nickname
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Bigg
- George Bigg - Cricketer (1861 to 1931)
- Bob Bigg - Association football player (1911 to 1)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.