Parent’s name

Wiggins surname meaning

An English surname from Wiggin, a medieval personal name, with a later or excrescent -s.

Confidence: Likely
US frequency: Rank 688 · 48,358 people
Common variants: Wiggin, Wiggens, Wiggans, Wiggins

Confidence: Likely. The main story is well supported; some details of the deeper root are less certain.

The short story

Wiggins is generally a form of Wiggin with an added -s that may be genitival, patronymic, or simply a later spelling development. Wiggin itself can represent medieval forms of William and related personal-name traditions, while regional records sometimes connect similar spellings with other Germanic names. The surname therefore points most safely to a personal-name source rather than a literal occupation. Parent’s name is the catalog type, with likely confidence because the Wiggin route is prominent but the older personal-name history is not uniform.

Also seen as: Wiggin, Wiggens, Wiggans, Wiggins

Sources used

Ancestry, Dictionary of American Family Names entry 'Wiggins' (Wiggin and patronymic/spelling routes)
Geneanet surname entry 'Wiggins' (English Wiggin comparison)
Names2020_LastNames_RaceHispanic_Top1000.xlsx (2020 Census)