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GAIL RIGGENS
New on board
United Kingdom
3 Posts |
 Posted - 02/10/2006 : 00:54:56
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| This is pretty much a shot in the dark. I am looking for information about the origins of my husband's surname, RIGGENS. A late member of his family said that it had norwegian origins.As he has no other family that he can ask,any information would be greatly appreciated. Thank you Gail |
Gail Riggens |
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Hopkins
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
3351 Posts |
Posted - 02/10/2006 : 15:37:26
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Historically - Norwegian ancestors are not found by 'surname' and Riggens doesn't jump out as obviously derived from any Norwegian origin.
If your husband has no living family he will have to use "the paper trail" of the family to try to learn more about them. Birth certificates, baptismal records, marriage records, death records - perhaps censuses, directories, etc. You'll probably start with his parents - find their documentary trail to identify the grandparents. Sooner or later someone could be listed in the generations with a birthplace of Norway - IF the comment by late family was accurate.
I quickly scanned some free message boards and forums but didn't have time to do in-depth research about the possible nationality origins of the name Riggins. You could explore further at:
http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec?htx=board&r=rw&p=surnames.riggens
http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec?htx=board&r=rw&p=surnames.riggins
http://genforum.genealogy.com/riggins/
Be sure and research with the spelling variations of the name also. Good luck. |
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Jo Anne Sadler
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
1100 Posts |
Posted - 02/10/2006 : 18:09:51
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To supplement Hopkins posting, you cannot "jump" generations when researching family history. Start with yourself and work back, that is the only way to get the correct story, not relying on family rumors. Even if you found some Riggens in Norway it does not mean they are relatives unless you link them back generation by generation.
Recommend you read the article on this site - Those Norwegians Names. |
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jwiborg
Norway Heritage Veteran
Norway
4961 Posts |
Posted - 03/10/2006 : 00:36:40
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Have you traced his ancestors back to the 1901 Census for England and Wales?
I could not find any Riggens there. There are some Riggins however, but they all look to be born in the Uk...
Searching the Ellis Island database over American imigrants, there is only one registered imigrant with the name Riggens. She is born in Aarhus, Denmark.
Jan Peter |
Edited by - jwiborg on 03/10/2006 00:37:35 |
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torrustad
Junior member
Norway
61 Posts |
Posted - 03/10/2006 : 08:06:50
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I have searced all available Norwegians Censuses for Riggen.
Also "O. Rygh's book "Norweagian Farm Names" http://www.dokpro.uio.no/rygh_ng/rygh_felt.html
and the 1886 Tax and Property Record:http://www.rhd.uit.no/matrikkel/matrikkel.aspx
No Riggens farm found; and the name doesen't seem to be a Norweagian name at all.
(I also searced for various spellings such as RiggenES; that sounds more "Norwegian")
There's no Riggens found at White Pages in Norway or Denmark.
However; there might be some connection to Norway: Often "theres no smoke without a fire"; your source may have mixed som information. Maybe your husband have some ancestors back in Norway; but not by the name of Riggens.
Follow Jo Anne's and Hopkin's suggestions; trace the family back generation by generation.
There's a lot of US Archives on the net.
IF you find some threads leading to Norway it's also easy to trace family here.
Good luck! |
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jwiborg
Norway Heritage Veteran
Norway
4961 Posts |
Posted - 03/10/2006 : 20:12:53
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There's a lot of US Archives on the net, but they are seldom useful for people who emigrated to the UK...  |
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torrustad
Junior member
Norway
61 Posts |
Posted - 03/10/2006 : 20:50:08
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Sorry;
I was on a wrong track.... |
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kaare n
Medium member
Norway
114 Posts |
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GAIL RIGGENS
New on board
United Kingdom
3 Posts |
Posted - 03/10/2006 : 23:47:32
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| Thank you to everyone for reading my post. I will try to do some more research. In the mean time I will look into the ideas posted by kaare n and jwiborg.I will keep you updated. Gail |
Gail Riggens |
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Riggens
