It is Russian surname, the most common in Ural region.
The surname Zhigalov comes from the nickname Zhigalo, which comes from the common noun "gigalo" ("gigailo"). So in the old days they called the one who "ignites" others, the instigator, the horse breeder, the leader of games and ventures, the leader or just a very mobile person. Accordingly, the nickname Zhigalo reflected the peculiarities of the ancestor's character. According to another version, the nickname Zhigalo was based on the noun "Zhigal" - this is how the coal burner was called in the Urals. In this case, the nickname Zhigalo refers to the so-called "professional" naming conventions containing an indication of the occupation of the founder of the clan. In addition, it is impossible to exclude the connection of this nickname with the Belarusian word "gigalo" - "sarcastic person" The first documentary mentions of the surname date back to the beginning of the 17th century. So, in the "Onomasticon" academician S. B. Veselovsky recorded: Zhigalov Ivan Karpov, 1606, Novgorod; Zhigalov Grigory Gavrilovich, 1627
