NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Innis

Of unknown origin, possibly from an Irish surname based on a place name.

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Innis is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Innis popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3688, with 5 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2024, with 5 births.

This profile covers 12 England and Wales registrations across 3 recorded years from 2013 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

Innis is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.

We estimate that about 92 living people in the UK are called Innis. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Innis ranked #3688 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 5 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2024, when 5 boys were registered as Innis.
  • Innis ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #727 in 2024.
  • About 92 living people in the UK are estimated to have Innis as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#3688

2024

Births in 2024

5

Latest year

Peak year

2024

5 births

Estimated living

92

2026

Meaning

What does Innis mean?

The name Innis has its roots in Scottish Gaelic, originating from the Highlands of Scotland in the medieval period. It is derived from the Gaelic word "innis," which means "island" or "meadow." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to people who lived on islands or in fertile meadows.

One of the earliest documented instances of the name Innis can be found in the 16th century, when Innis Munro was a Scottish clan chief who played a significant role in the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh in 1547. This battle was a part of the ongoing conflict between Scotland and England, known as the Rough Wooing.

In the 17th century, Innis Somerled was a prominent Scottish poet and writer who lived from 1637 to 1714. He is best known for his work "The Lamentation of the Kirk of Scotland," which criticized the policies of the Stuart monarchs towards the Presbyterian Church.

Moving into the 18th century, Innis MacAulay, born in 1760, was a Scottish soldier who served in the British Army during the American Revolutionary War. He fought in several major battles, including the Battle of Bunker Hill and the Battle of Yorktown.

In the 19th century, Innis Browne was an Irish poet and playwright who lived from 1819 to 1892. He was known for his humorous and satirical works, which often explored themes of Irish nationalism and social issues.

Another notable figure with the name Innis was Innis Arden, an American actress and writer who lived from 1892 to 1977. She is best known for her work in the silent film era and her involvement in the Little Theatre movement, which sought to promote experimental and avant-garde theatre productions.

While the name Innis may have been more common in its Scottish and Irish origins, it has also been used in other cultures and languages over time, albeit less frequently. The name's connection to natural elements like islands and meadows has likely contributed to its enduring appeal across various regions and eras.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Innis over time

The chart below shows babies named Innis registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2013 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Innis, the clearest high point is 2024. The latest England and Wales figure is 5 births in 2024, compared with 5 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Innis
01345201320182024

Decades

Innis by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Innis was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #3898 9 2
2010s #4685 3 1

Geography

Where Innis is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Innis. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Innis ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #727 in 2024.

Scotland
3

Across the UK

Innis in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#727 in 2024

19 years of NRS records, 81 total registered

Related

Names similar to Innis

FAQ

Innis: questions and answers

How popular is the name Innis in the UK right now?

In 2024, Innis was ranked #3688 for boys in England and Wales, with 5 births registered.

When was Innis most popular?

The peak year on record was 2024, with 5 babies registered as Innis in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Innis?

Of unknown origin, possibly from an Irish surname based on a place name.

How many people are called Innis in the UK?

A total of 12 babies have been registered as Innis across the 3 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 81 more in Scotland.

Where is Innis most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Innis ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #727 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.