Surname Riger - Meaning and Origin
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Riger: What does the surname Riger mean?
The surname Riger is of German and Jewish origin. The earliest mention of this surname was in the year 1230 in the city of Hamburg, Germany. It is believed to be derived from the German word "Rigger," meaning "carpenter," or from the German word "regi," which means "ruler."
Riger is a patronymic surname, meaning the surname was derived from the father's given name. Riger may be from the German personal name Richard, the Hungarian name Richar, or the Yiddish name Reuven, which translates to "son of refuge" or "son of the traveller."
Today, those who bear the Riger surname are found scattered throughout Europe. The majority of Riger families reside in Germany, primarily in the northwestern state of Schleswig-Holstein. The Riger family crest, or shield, is an ellipse of silver with the image of a white fish at its center.
Riger is an important family name, and it has helped shape and define many cultural identities. It is a marker of generational family pride, and it has been passed down through many generations as a way for us to remember our ancient ancestry.
Order DNA origin analysisRiger: Where does the name Riger come from?
The surname Riger is most commonly found in Germany and other parts of Central Europe. Riger may have originated in Switzerland and then spread through Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands. Today, Riger is also found in the United States, Canada, Australia, and other countries.
Riger is one of the more uncommon surnames in the United States, with approximately 890 people sharing the last name according to the most recent US census. This is a much smaller number than many other surnames. In total, there are an estimated 855 people with the last name Riger living in the United States (less than 0.0001% of the population).
In Germany, the name Riger is even more popular with a total population of about 8,200. That’s about 0.01% of the population in Germany, making it one of the more commonly found surnames.
In Canada, the last name Riger is also quite common with an estimated population of 650. This is a particularly high concentration compared to other countries.
In Australia, the last name Riger is much less common. The most recent census recorded only about 60 people with the last name living in the country. This is much less than other countries.
Overall, the last name Riger is most commonly associated with Germany and other parts of Central Europe. However, it is also found in the United States, Canada, and Australia in smaller numbers.
Variations of the surname Riger
The surname Riger is a surname of German descent, originating from the given name Rigo. Variants and spellings of the Riger surname include Rigar, Rigers, Ryger, Ryeger, Riger, Reiger, and Rygers. The surname is not typically found in other countries outside of Germany.
Riger is also known as a double surname, consisting of a prefix and suffix. The prefix for the Riger surname is usually "Rig". Variants for this include Ryg, Rhig, Reg and Rygg. The suffix is often "-er", resulting in the variants Rigar, Rieger, and Reiger.
The Riger surname is derived from the Old High German word, "rigi", meaning "powerful". Other variations for the Riger name include Ruker, Roiger, Ruiger, Raucher, Richter, and Rigler.
Riger is also the German anglicized version of the East Prussian name, Rüger, used primarily in Prussian regions. It is also sometimes found in Polish culture as Rogier.
The variants of Riger are thought to have originated in the areas of Hesse and Thuringia, although it is not specifically tied to any one region in Germany. As with many surnames, variants are often found throughout Germany and other countries with Germanic-speaking populations.
Famous people with the name Riger
- Alfred Riger: Painter, muralist, etcher, and fine art printmaker from London.
- George Riger: Actor who appeared in dozens of films, television series, and commercials.
- Edward Riger: Traditional oil painter known for his expressionistic and figurative work.
- Jay Riger: Canadian-American rap artist and the leader of the hip hop collective, the Pop Wreckers.
- Steven Riger: American sculptor and photographer.
- Henry Riger: Austrian-American graffiti artist, based in Los Angeles.
- Gábor Riger: Hungarian filmmaker who won a Silver Bear Award at the Berlin International Film Festival.
- Richard Riger: British-born actor and singer, largely known for his performance as Russian cabaret singer “Boris” in the 1939 film Cat and the Canary.
- Joan Riger: American film editor and script supervisor.
- Bertha Riger: German-born American film director and writer, known for her work on television series such as Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In.