NameCensus.

UK surname

Inness

A Scottish surname derived from the parish of Innes in Moray.

In the 1881 census there were 228 people recorded with the Inness surname, ranking it #11,826 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 274, ranked #15,759, down from #11,826 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Oxford City: St Giles, Gateshead and Rathven. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Gateshead and Northumberland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Inness is 328 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 20.2%.

1881 census count

228

Ranked #11,826

Modern count

274

2016, ranked #15,759

Peak year

2000

328 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Inness had 228 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,826 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 274 in 2016, ranked #15,759.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 252 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Inness surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Inness surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Inness 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 143 #13,343
1861 historical 130 #17,164
1881 historical 228 #11,826
1891 historical 247 #12,880
1901 historical 252 #13,068
1911 historical 246 #13,054
1997 modern 262 #14,814
1998 modern 315 #13,452
1999 modern 322 #13,335
2000 modern 328 #13,129
2001 modern 319 #13,168
2002 modern 314 #13,589
2003 modern 312 #13,467
2004 modern 306 #13,720
2005 modern 282 #14,368
2006 modern 280 #14,535
2007 modern 267 #15,225
2008 modern 269 #15,260
2009 modern 274 #15,395
2010 modern 289 #15,127
2011 modern 269 #15,800
2012 modern 257 #16,212
2013 modern 273 #15,802
2014 modern 274 #15,877
2015 modern 269 #15,955
2016 modern 274 #15,759

Geography

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Where Inness' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Oxford City: St Giles, Gateshead, Rathven, Cumnor and Brancepeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Gateshead and Northumberland. 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 Oxford City: St Giles Oxfordshire
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Rathven Banff
4 Cumnor Berkshire
5 Brancepeth Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Gateshead 013 Gateshead
2 Northumberland 003 Northumberland
3 Gateshead 020 Gateshead
4 Gateshead 011 Gateshead
5 Gateshead 023 Gateshead

Forenames

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First names often paired with Inness

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Inness

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Inness, 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 Inness surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Inness 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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Inness is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Inness is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Inness falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Inness

The surname INNESS originates from Scotland, where it first appeared around the 12th century. It is believed to be a regional name derived from the Innes estate in Moray, Scotland. The name is thought to be derived from the Gaelic word "innis," meaning island or meadow.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname INNESS can be found in the Charter of David I, King of Scotland, in the year 1171. The charter mentions a "Walter de Ineis" as a witness, suggesting the name was already established in that region during that time period.

In the late 13th century, Sir Robert de Innes was recorded as the owner of the Innes estate in Moray. He is believed to be one of the earliest known members of the INNESS family lineage.

The INNESS name is also mentioned in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from the late 13th century, which documented various transactions and payments made by individuals with this surname.

During the 16th century, a notable figure with the INNESS surname was Sir Robert Innes (c. 1540-1610), who served as a Scottish diplomat and was appointed as the Lord of Innes.

In the 17th century, Sir Walter Innes (1604-1676) was a Scottish politician and member of the Parliament of Scotland, representing the county of Moray.

Another significant individual with the INNESS surname was George Inness (1825-1894), an influential American landscape painter known for his distinctive tonalist style. He was born in Newburgh, New York, but his family roots traced back to Scotland.

Other notable figures with the INNESS surname include: - John Inness (1800-1868), a Scottish poet and writer. - John Inness (1857-1932), a Scottish architect based in Edinburgh. - George Inness Jr. (1854-1926), an American painter and son of George Inness. - William Inness (1841-1885), an American landscape painter and brother of George Inness.

The INNESS surname has maintained a strong presence in Scotland, particularly in the Moray region, where it originated. However, it has also spread to other parts of the world, including the United States, through migration and family lines.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Inness families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Inness 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. Durham leads with 66 Inness' recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.93x.

County Total Index
Durham 66 9.93x
Northumberland 48 14.44x
Berkshire 18 10.74x
Aberdeenshire 17 8.22x
Oxfordshire 14 10.15x
Lanarkshire 12 1.66x
Yorkshire 11 0.50x
Fife 9 6.81x
Surrey 8 0.74x
Lancashire 7 0.26x
Middlesex 5 0.22x
Renfrewshire 4 2.31x
Nairnshire 2 29.33x
Ross-shire 2 3.26x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.74x
Cumberland 1 0.52x
Derbyshire 1 0.29x
Hampshire 1 0.22x
Kent 1 0.13x
Royal Navy 1 3.76x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Westgate in Northumberland leads with 18 Inness' recorded in 1881 and an index of 87.46x.

Place Total Index
Westgate 18 87.46x
Cumnor 16 2077.92x
Gateshead 15 30.15x
Brandon Byshottles 13 156.25x
Carnwath 9 201.34x
Leslie 8 2000.00x
Newcastle On Tyne St 8 46.43x
Oxford St Giles 8 121.58x
Liverpool 7 4.35x
Monkwearmouth Shore 7 53.97x
Saline 7 958.90x
Thornhill 7 108.36x
Wingate 7 153.51x
Chatton 6 588.24x
Earsdon 6 222.22x
Birtley 5 184.50x
Hartlepool 5 52.97x
Lambeth 5 2.57x
Longside 5 202.43x
Woolvercot 5 892.86x
West Greenock 4 12.87x
Barony 3 1.64x
Kingston On Thames 3 11.48x
Newcastle On Tyne St John 3 68.65x
Newington 3 49.18x
Sunderland 3 25.55x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 2 5.17x
Anstruther Wester 2 392.16x
Belford 2 281.69x
Berwick Upon Tweed 2 28.41x
Brancepeth 2 165.29x
Elswick 2 7.54x
Middridge 2 303.03x
Nairn 2 48.31x
Pelton 2 63.29x
Seaton Carew 2 149.25x
St Martin In Fields 2 14.96x
Wytham 2 1333.33x
Chelsea London 1 1.49x
Cowley 1 23.20x
Egremont 1 21.79x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 1 3.47x
Heworth 1 7.64x
Isleworth 1 10.07x
Jesmond 1 21.37x
Kensington London 1 0.81x
Kildrummy 1 200.00x
Linslade 1 75.76x
Morton 1 149.25x
Portsmouth 1 9.49x
Rayne 1 102.04x
Rosskeen 1 34.60x
Royal Navy 1 4.40x
South Shields 1 16.89x
Tarbat 1 68.97x
Whiston 1 93.46x
Woolwich 1 3.55x

FAQ

Inness surname: questions and answers

How common was the Inness surname in 1881?

In 1881, 228 people were recorded with the Inness surname. That placed it at #11,826 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Inness surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 274 in 2016. That gives Inness a modern rank of #15,759.

What does the Inness surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the parish of Innes in Moray.

What does the Inness map show?

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