NameCensus.

UK surname

Ingram

An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "Inga's homestead" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 9,112 people recorded with the Ingram surname, ranking it #463 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 13,240, ranked #487, down from #463 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Glasgow and Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sedgemoor, Shropshire and Girvan Glendoune.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ingram is 13,453 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 45.3%.

1881 census count

9,112

Ranked #463

Modern count

13,240

2016, ranked #487

Peak year

1999

13,453 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ingram had 9,112 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #463 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 13,240 in 2016, ranked #487.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 11,633 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Ingram surname distribution map

The map shows where the Ingram surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Ingram surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ingram over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 5,910 #469
1861 historical 5,869 #464
1881 historical 9,112 #463
1891 historical 9,705 #456
1901 historical 11,633 #449
1911 historical 10,623 #458
1997 modern 12,868 #472
1998 modern 13,284 #475
1999 modern 13,453 #470
2000 modern 13,219 #476
2001 modern 12,983 #476
2002 modern 13,308 #473
2003 modern 12,979 #476
2004 modern 12,979 #473
2005 modern 12,798 #478
2006 modern 12,782 #478
2007 modern 12,797 #484
2008 modern 12,824 #486
2009 modern 13,122 #487
2010 modern 13,234 #493
2011 modern 13,052 #492
2012 modern 12,952 #490
2013 modern 13,271 #490
2014 modern 13,394 #488
2015 modern 13,274 #487
2016 modern 13,240 #487

Geography

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Where Ingrams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Glasgow and Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sedgemoor, Shropshire, Girvan Glendoune, Inverurie South and Barrahill. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Glasgow Lanark
4 Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken Warwickshire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sedgemoor 007 Sedgemoor
2 Shropshire 038 Shropshire
3 Girvan Glendoune South Ayrshire
4 Inverurie South Aberdeenshire
5 Barrahill Aberdeenshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ingram

These lists show first names that appear often with the Ingram surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ingram

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Ingram, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Ingram surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Ingram household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Ingram is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Ingram is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Ingram falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Ingram is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Ingram, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Ingram

The surname Ingram is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "ing" meaning a meadow or enclosure, and "gram" meaning a young man or servant. It is believed to have originated as a locational surname, given to someone who lived near a meadow or enclosure belonging to a young man or servant.

The name is first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Ingeham" and "Ingraham." This suggests that the name was already well-established in England by the 11th century.

The earliest known bearer of the name was William Ingram, who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1197. In the 13th century, the name appeared as "Inggram" and "Yngram" in various records from counties like Norfolk and Lincolnshire.

Over time, the spelling of the name evolved to its modern form of "Ingram." One of the earliest instances of this spelling can be found in the records of the Minster of York in 1379, where a certain Robert Ingram was mentioned.

Notable bearers of the surname Ingram include:

1. Sir Arthur Ingram (1565-1642), an English landowner and Member of Parliament who was instrumental in draining the Fens of East Anglia.

2. Robert Ingram (1571-1644), an English merchant and Member of Parliament who was one of the founders of the East India Company.

3. Jared Ingram (1749-1822), an American soldier and politician who served as a Senator from Pennsylvania.

4. Clement Ingram (1781-1868), an English philanthropist and founder of the Ingram Trust, which provided support for poor clergy and their families.

5. Herbert Ingram (1811-1860), an English journalist and founder of The Illustrated London News, one of the first illustrated weekly newspapers.

The name Ingram has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Ingram in Northumberland, Ingram's Green in Berkshire, and Ingram's Dene in Durham. These place names may have contributed to the spread and adoption of the surname in different regions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ingram families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ingram surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Warwickshire leads with 847 Ingrams recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.77x.

County Total Index
Warwickshire 847 3.77x
Middlesex 834 0.93x
Aberdeenshire 688 8.33x
Staffordshire 473 1.57x
Lancashire 419 0.40x
Kent 404 1.33x
Surrey 399 0.92x
Yorkshire 354 0.40x
Northamptonshire 348 4.15x
Hampshire 346 1.89x
Banffshire 306 16.54x
Wiltshire 260 3.30x
Lanarkshire 235 0.81x
Worcestershire 187 1.61x
Durham 180 0.68x
Essex 167 0.95x
Somerset 149 1.04x
Buckinghamshire 130 2.41x
Lincolnshire 127 0.89x
Gloucestershire 116 0.66x
Montgomeryshire 113 5.53x
Midlothian 112 0.94x
Ayrshire 108 1.62x
Dorset 98 1.67x
Norfolk 97 0.71x
Leicestershire 92 0.93x
Sussex 89 0.59x
Bedfordshire 87 1.88x
Glamorgan 85 0.55x
Derbyshire 76 0.54x
Renfrewshire 73 1.06x
Radnorshire 72 10.00x
Fife 69 1.31x
Devon 63 0.34x
Cheshire 56 0.28x
Northumberland 54 0.41x
Shropshire 53 0.69x
Nottinghamshire 51 0.42x
Herefordshire 45 1.23x
Huntingdonshire 45 2.54x
Oxfordshire 45 0.82x
Cornwall 44 0.44x
Monmouthshire 44 0.68x
Kincardineshire 42 3.87x
Cambridgeshire 41 0.73x
Berkshire 40 0.60x
Hertfordshire 35 0.57x
Rutland 35 5.34x
Morayshire 31 2.24x
Channel Islands 29 1.10x
Brecknockshire 26 1.46x
Suffolk 22 0.20x
Cumberland 19 0.25x
Sutherland 18 2.62x
Angus 17 0.21x
Dumfriesshire 14 0.71x
Perthshire 14 0.35x
Stirlingshire 14 0.43x
Carmarthenshire 13 0.35x
Royal Navy 11 1.03x
Caernarfonshire 10 0.28x
Orkney 10 1.02x
Caithness 9 0.74x
Roxburghshire 9 0.56x
Dunbartonshire 8 0.33x
Inverness-shire 7 0.26x
Anglesey 5 0.32x
Cardiganshire 5 0.23x
Peeblesshire 4 0.95x
Shetland 4 0.44x
Berwickshire 2 0.19x
East Lothian 2 0.17x
Isle of Man 2 0.12x
Buteshire 1 0.19x
Clackmannanshire 1 0.14x
Denbighshire 1 0.03x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.08x
Selkirkshire 1 0.12x
Westmorland 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 234 Ingrams recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.12x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 234 3.12x
Aston 209 3.37x
Lambeth 95 1.22x
Gamrie 93 45.02x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 89 5.76x
Coventry Holy Trinity 88 13.10x
Govan 88 1.23x
Aberdeen Old Machar 80 4.64x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 71 1.48x
Paddington London 70 2.13x
Islington London 65 0.75x
Walsall Foreign 61 3.92x
St Pancras London 60 0.84x
Hindley 59 13.07x
Earls Barton 58 81.04x
Glasgow 58 1.13x
West Bromwich 56 3.25x
Kensington London 55 1.11x
Mile End Old Town London 50 2.63x
Croydon 47 1.95x
Great Yarmouth 47 4.14x
Southampton St Mary 47 4.09x
Barony 44 0.60x
Tipton 44 4.77x
Chelsea London 43 1.60x
Hackney London 43 0.86x
Llanidloes 43 28.38x
Portsea 43 1.20x
Cannock 41 7.80x
Leeds 41 0.82x
Camberwell 40 0.70x
Prittlewell 39 15.98x
Borden 38 98.55x
Leicester St Margaret 38 1.58x
West Ham 38 0.98x
Rugby 36 11.83x
Huntly 35 26.04x
Peterhead 35 8.01x
Birkenhead 34 2.17x
Fordyce 34 25.54x
Holdenhurst 33 6.88x
King Edward 33 34.66x
St Marylebone London 33 0.69x
Coventry St Michael 32 4.43x
Millbrook 32 6.95x
North Petherton 32 27.63x
Grange 31 57.23x
Minster In Sheppey 31 6.15x
Rathven 31 8.92x
St Harmon Cennarth 30 213.52x
Turriff 30 22.50x
Wednesbury 30 3.99x
Wolverhampton 29 1.25x
Fulham London 28 2.16x
Gateshead 28 1.41x
Holy Trinity 28 1.32x
Liverpool 28 0.44x
Yardley 28 9.40x
Barking 27 5.24x
Hammersmith London 27 1.23x
Newington 27 0.82x
Norton Canes 27 24.60x
Shillington 27 39.69x
Westerham 27 38.46x
Fyvie 26 19.29x
Middlesbrough 26 2.26x
Shoreditch London 26 0.67x
St George Hanover Square 26 1.65x
Stratton St Margaret 26 21.49x
Bermondsey 25 0.94x
Darlington 25 2.44x
Kettering 25 7.37x
Wrotham 25 24.80x
Brighton 24 0.79x
Harborne 24 2.49x
Leyton Low 24 6.71x
Preston 24 0.85x
Clapham 23 2.06x
Keith 23 11.66x
Northampton All Sts 23 8.08x

FAQ

Ingram surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ingram surname in 1881?

In 1881, 9,112 people were recorded with the Ingram surname. That placed it at #463 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ingram surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 13,240 in 2016. That gives Ingram a modern rank of #487.

What does the Ingram surname mean?

An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "Inga's homestead" in Old English.

What does the Ingram map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Ingram bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.