Map of England showing where the Rigby arms are recorded
The Rigby arms were recorded in Lancaster, c. 1567.
Lancashire was divided among a great many small landed families, more than most northern counties. Estates were passed down whole rather than split up, so the same names hold the same ground for centuries in the records.
This is where the arms were entered in the register. Families often moved to other parts of the country, so the same name can turn up in more than one region.
The body that granted and recorded arms in England in this period.
Elizabeth I of England
Sovereign of the period
Elizabeth I of England
1558–1603
Reigning in England when the Rigby arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in England
English heraldry allowed arms to be shared by all legitimate descendants of the original owner. These symbols were treated as personal property that moved through the generations to all children. While the eldest son kept the original design, other family members could use the same shield without needing to change it or register their own unique versions.
Granting authority
The College of Arms in London has regulated the use of coats of arms throughout England and Wales since 1484.
How they got arms
Families typically obtained their coats of arms through a formal grant from the Crown or by proving their ancient right to them.
Where arms were recorded
All official coats of arms are recorded in the registers kept at the College of Arms, which date back to the fifteenth century.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Lancaster.
Origin & History of the Rigby Family in England
The surname Rigby originates from a place name in Lancashire, England, specifically derived from the Old Norse words "ryggr," meaning ridge, and "by," meaning a farmstead or village. This suggests that the earliest ancestors bearing the name were likely settlers who established a homestead on or near a prominent ridge in the landscape. By 1567, records confirm that members of the Rigby family were firmly established within the county of Lancaster, where they became influential figures in local governance and law. Over the centuries, the family grew from these regional roots to become deeply woven into the social and administrative fabric of Northwest England. Their presence in the area reflects the broader history of medieval land settlement, where families were often identified by the specific geographic features of the land they occupied.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Hryggr and By
Old Norse for ridge and farmstead or village settlement.
This name
RigbyRefers to a person who lived at a farmstead located on a ridge.
also spelled
Rygby
Rigbie
Rygbie
Related arms
Eliothrecorded with Rigby, same area
Everardrecorded with Rigby, same area
Fullwoodrecorded with Rigby, same area
Gellrecorded with Rigby, same area
Documented Sources
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Ekwall, Eilert. The Place-Names of Lancashire. 1922
Reaney, P.H. A Dictionary of British Surnames. 1958
The National Archives, Kew. Plea Rolls of the Court of Common Pleas, CP 40
cross symbolChristian faith and service
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
cross symbolChristian faith and service
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
