NameCensus.

UK surname

Innes

A Scottish locational surname derived from the barony of Innes in Moray, likely meaning "isthmus" or "headland."

In the 1881 census there were 4,664 people recorded with the Innes surname, ranking it #955 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 7,487, ranked #891, up from #955 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, London parishes and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Buckie West and Mains of Buckie, Cullen, Portknockie, Findochty, Drybridge and Berryhillock and Nairn Rural.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Innes is 7,617 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 60.5%.

1881 census count

4,664

Ranked #955

Modern count

7,487

2016, ranked #891

Peak year

2010

7,617 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Innes had 4,664 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #955 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 7,487 in 2016, ranked #891.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 5,998 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Innes surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Innes surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Innes 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 3,175 #911
1861 historical 3,300 #866
1881 historical 4,664 #955
1891 historical 5,247 #891
1901 historical 5,998 #924
1911 historical 1,763 #2,790
1997 modern 6,857 #945
1998 modern 7,083 #957
1999 modern 7,138 #957
2000 modern 7,110 #956
2001 modern 6,918 #957
2002 modern 7,108 #949
2003 modern 6,995 #939
2004 modern 7,062 #929
2005 modern 7,103 #913
2006 modern 7,083 #917
2007 modern 7,155 #914
2008 modern 7,261 #908
2009 modern 7,445 #908
2010 modern 7,617 #909
2011 modern 7,416 #913
2012 modern 7,284 #910
2013 modern 7,406 #911
2014 modern 7,488 #910
2015 modern 7,468 #901
2016 modern 7,487 #891

Geography

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Where Innes' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, London parishes, Edinburgh, Rathven and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Buckie West and Mains of Buckie, Cullen, Portknockie, Findochty, Drybridge and Berryhillock, Nairn Rural, Buckie Central East and Sutherland East. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Govan Combination Lanark
2 London parishes London 3
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Rathven Banff
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Buckie West and Mains of Buckie Moray
2 Cullen, Portknockie, Findochty, Drybridge and Berryhillock Moray
3 Nairn Rural Highland
4 Buckie Central East Moray
5 Sutherland East Highland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Innes

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Innes

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Innes, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Innes surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Innes household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Innes 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

Innes is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

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

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Innes falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Innes 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 Innes, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Innes

The surname Innes has its origins in Scotland, tracing back to the 12th century. It is a territorial name derived from the lands of Innes in Moray, northeast Scotland. The earliest record of this name dates back to the reign of King William the Lion (1165-1214), when the lands were granted to Berowald, a Flemish settler, who then took the surname Innes.

The name Innes is believed to come from the Gaelic word "innis," meaning a meadow or pasture land. The lands of Innes were located near the River Spey, known for its fertile pastures and meadows, lending credence to this theory. Variations in spelling over the centuries included Innes, Innys, Eneys, and Enneys.

In the 13th century, Sir Walter Innes, the son of Berowald, was a prominent figure and witnessed several royal charters during the reign of King Alexander II (1214-1249). The Innes family continued to hold significant influence in the region for centuries.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Innes can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, which mention John de Innes in 1264. Another notable figure was Sir Robert Innes, who served as the ambassador of King Robert II (1316-1390) to England in the late 14th century.

During the 16th century, Sir Robert Innes (1492-1551) was a prominent member of the family, serving as the Lord of Innes and holding the position of Sheriff of Banff. He played an important role in the conflicts between the Scottish Crown and the powerful Douglas family.

In the 17th century, Sir Robert Innes (1600-1655) was a Scottish writer and scholar who authored several works on theology and history. He was also a staunch supporter of the Royalist cause during the English Civil War.

Another notable figure was Sir John Innes (1677-1748), a Scottish politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for the Banff Burghs constituency in the early 18th century.

Throughout its history, the Innes surname has been associated with several notable individuals, including Lewis Innes (1651-1738), a Scottish Catholic priest and historian; Cosmo Innes (1798-1874), a Scottish antiquarian and historian; and Thomas Innes of Learney (1676-1744), a Scottish Jacobite and Member of Parliament.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Innes families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Innes 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. Aberdeenshire leads with 836 Innes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.96x.

County Total Index
Aberdeenshire 836 19.96x
Banffshire 562 59.90x
Midlothian 462 7.62x
Lanarkshire 345 2.36x
Morayshire 299 42.54x
Fife 277 10.34x
Middlesex 169 0.37x
Durham 159 1.18x
Caithness 148 23.90x
Angus 119 2.84x
Surrey 110 0.50x
Perthshire 78 3.84x
Lancashire 67 0.12x
Northumberland 67 1.00x
Renfrewshire 64 1.83x
Ayrshire 52 1.54x
Inverness-shire 48 3.55x
Sutherland 47 13.51x
Ross-shire 46 3.70x
East Lothian 45 7.51x
Nairnshire 45 32.59x
Yorkshire 34 0.08x
Cheshire 32 0.32x
Stirlingshire 31 1.86x
Dunbartonshire 29 2.39x
Kent 29 0.19x
Kincardineshire 29 5.26x
Roxburghshire 29 3.54x
Gloucestershire 27 0.30x
Herefordshire 25 1.35x
Essex 24 0.27x
Berwickshire 21 3.83x
Buteshire 21 7.66x
Hampshire 21 0.23x
Oxfordshire 21 0.75x
Hertfordshire 17 0.55x
Somerset 16 0.22x
West Lothian 16 2.35x
Cumberland 14 0.36x
Wigtownshire 13 2.16x
Dorset 12 0.40x
Warwickshire 10 0.09x
Clackmannanshire 9 2.41x
Monmouthshire 9 0.28x
Royal Navy 9 1.67x
Derbyshire 8 0.11x
Devon 8 0.09x
Sussex 7 0.09x
Berkshire 6 0.18x
Leicestershire 6 0.12x
Selkirkshire 6 1.47x
Staffordshire 6 0.04x
Argyllshire 5 0.40x
Brecknockshire 5 0.55x
Dumfriesshire 5 0.50x
Cambridgeshire 4 0.14x
Cornwall 4 0.08x
Glamorgan 4 0.05x
Shetland 4 0.87x
Suffolk 3 0.05x
Kirkcudbrightshire 2 0.31x
Lincolnshire 2 0.03x
Wiltshire 2 0.05x
Worcestershire 2 0.03x
Bedfordshire 1 0.04x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.04x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.05x
Kinross-shire 1 0.87x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Rathven in Banffshire leads with 164 Innes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 93.05x.

Place Total Index
Rathven 164 93.05x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 141 5.78x
Aberdeen Old Machar 133 15.21x
Govan 118 3.26x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 109 13.91x
Barony 91 2.46x
Mortlach 71 154.95x
Fraserburgh 64 54.27x
Inveravon 56 140.04x
Inveresk 56 34.13x
St Monance 55 172.04x
South Leith 53 7.77x
Fordyce 51 75.54x
Elgin 48 35.11x
Glasgow 47 1.81x
Marnoch 43 85.35x
Drainie 41 65.85x
Duddingston 40 32.88x
Bellie 39 122.80x
Dundee 39 2.49x
Keith 38 37.99x
Tyrie 38 72.27x
Dysart 36 19.96x
Bishopwearmouth 34 2.94x
Lambeth 33 0.84x
New Deer 33 43.51x
Inverness 32 9.42x
Knockando 29 101.51x
St Andrews Lhanbryd 29 133.58x
Dunfermline 28 6.80x
Gamrie 28 26.73x
King Edward 28 58.00x
Latheron 28 27.03x
Nairn 28 33.42x
Halkirk 27 64.44x
Huntly 27 39.61x
West Greenock 27 4.29x
Old Monkland 26 4.48x
Thurso 26 26.92x
Turriff 26 38.45x
Canisbay 25 61.49x
Boharm 24 130.15x
Liberton 24 25.66x
Newhills 24 27.98x
Aberdour 23 85.28x
Aberlour 23 77.28x
Ellon 21 36.45x
Islington London 21 0.48x
Kirkcaldy 20 15.06x
Maryhill 20 6.98x
Urquhart 20 60.22x
West Derby 20 1.27x
Alvah 19 89.88x
Cupar 19 16.32x
Grange 19 69.17x
Camberwell 18 0.62x
Edinburgh Canongate 18 11.67x
Gateshead 18 1.79x
Lanchester 18 72.85x
Liff Benvie 18 2.83x
Pitsligo 18 44.96x
Rothesay 18 13.56x
Wick 18 9.00x
Drumblade 17 114.71x
Monquhitter 17 39.20x
Salford 17 1.08x
Bower 16 64.15x
Forgue 16 42.52x
Glass 16 100.06x
Shoreditch London 16 0.82x
Tranent 16 19.77x
Hampstead London 15 2.13x
North Leith 15 5.35x
Perth East Church 15 7.84x
Cullen 14 40.25x
Elswick 14 2.61x
Fyvie 14 20.48x
Hawick 14 7.63x
Kirknewton 14 80.37x
Newbattle 14 27.03x

FAQ

Innes surname: questions and answers

How common was the Innes surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,664 people were recorded with the Innes surname. That placed it at #955 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Innes surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 7,487 in 2016. That gives Innes a modern rank of #891.

What does the Innes surname mean?

A Scottish locational surname derived from the barony of Innes in Moray, likely meaning "isthmus" or "headland."

What does the Innes map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Innes 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.