NameCensus.

UK surname

Inns

A locational surname referring to someone who lived near or operated an inn.

In the 1881 census there were 554 people recorded with the Inns surname, ranking it #6,228 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 745, ranked #7,333, down from #6,228 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Woollos (incl. Newport) and Kettering. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Forest Heath, South Norfolk and Derby.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Inns is 879 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 34.5%.

1881 census count

554

Ranked #6,228

Modern count

745

2016, ranked #7,333

Peak year

1911

879 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Inns had 554 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,228 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 745 in 2016, ranked #7,333.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 879 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Inns surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Inns surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Inns 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 370 #6,426
1861 historical 391 #6,549
1881 historical 554 #6,228
1891 historical 704 #5,575
1901 historical 756 #5,902
1911 historical 879 #5,063
1997 modern 791 #6,593
1998 modern 825 #6,596
1999 modern 826 #6,633
2000 modern 818 #6,657
2001 modern 809 #6,592
2002 modern 817 #6,652
2003 modern 800 #6,652
2004 modern 780 #6,808
2005 modern 772 #6,800
2006 modern 780 #6,764
2007 modern 774 #6,883
2008 modern 772 #6,946
2009 modern 793 #6,944
2010 modern 801 #7,018
2011 modern 779 #7,098
2012 modern 740 #7,303
2013 modern 762 #7,246
2014 modern 761 #7,281
2015 modern 757 #7,247
2016 modern 745 #7,333

Geography

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Where Inns' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Woollos (incl. Newport), Kettering and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Forest Heath, South Norfolk, Derby, Thurrock and Central Bedfordshire. 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 St Woollos (incl. Newport) Monmouthshire
4 Kettering Northamptonshire
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Forest Heath 001 Forest Heath
2 South Norfolk 001 South Norfolk
3 Derby 025 Derby
4 Thurrock 004 Thurrock
5 Central Bedfordshire 026 Central Bedfordshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Inns

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Inns

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Inns surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Inns household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Inns is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Inns is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Inns falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Inns is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Inns

The surname INNS is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word "innu" meaning an inn or a public house. The name first emerged in the 12th century, referring to an individual who lived or worked at an inn.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the INNS surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Hertfordshire from 1195, which lists a Richard de la Inne. This suggests that the name was initially formed as a locational surname, denoting someone who lived near or worked at an inn.

In the 13th century, the INNS surname appeared in various forms, such as Atte Inne, Ine, and Inne, reflecting the evolution of spelling and pronunciation over time. One notable bearer of the name was John atte Inne, a landowner mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275.

The INNS surname has a strong association with the hospitality industry, as many early bearers of the name were innkeepers or worked in inns. This connection is evident in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1279, which recorded a William de la Inne as the keeper of an inn in the village of Hinxton.

During the medieval period, the INNS surname was also linked to various place names, such as Inkpen in Berkshire and Inworth in Essex. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname in different regions.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the INNS surname in its modern spelling can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1327, which listed a Thomas Inns as a taxpayer.

Over the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the INNS surname. In the 16th century, Thomas Inns (c. 1510-1558) was an English Protestant martyr who was burned at the stake for his religious beliefs during the Marian Persecutions.

In the 17th century, Edward Inns (1598-1672) was an English clergyman and author, best known for his work "The Instruction of a Christian Man in the Lawes of Matrimonies."

The 18th century saw the rise of Joseph Inns (1739-1798), an English portrait painter and engraver who exhibited at the Royal Academy.

In the 19th century, Benjamin Inns (1805-1878) was a prominent English architect and surveyor, known for designing several notable buildings in London.

More recently, Geoffrey Inns (1914-1998) was a British actor and playwright, best known for his role in the classic film "The Bridge on the River Kwai."

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Inns families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Inns 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. Bedfordshire leads with 88 Inns' recorded in 1881 and an index of 31.39x.

County Total Index
Bedfordshire 88 31.39x
Northamptonshire 75 14.73x
Middlesex 67 1.24x
Buckinghamshire 66 20.16x
Yorkshire 50 0.93x
Lancashire 33 0.51x
Herefordshire 29 13.06x
Essex 24 2.25x
Warwickshire 24 1.76x
Oxfordshire 20 5.98x
Monmouthshire 12 3.07x
Surrey 12 0.45x
Berkshire 8 1.97x
Hampshire 8 0.72x
Kent 8 0.43x
Hertfordshire 7 1.88x
Derbyshire 5 0.59x
Staffordshire 5 0.27x
Durham 4 0.25x
Worcestershire 3 0.42x
Sussex 2 0.22x
Banffshire 1 0.89x
Cheshire 1 0.08x
Leicestershire 1 0.17x
Royal Navy 1 1.55x
Suffolk 1 0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Buckingham in Buckinghamshire leads with 26 Inns' recorded in 1881 and an index of 390.39x.

Place Total Index
Buckingham 26 390.39x
Leighton Buzzard 22 182.42x
Preston Capes 22 5365.85x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 18 36.01x
Thornaby 18 89.78x
Widnes 16 34.53x
West Ham 15 6.36x
Hockliffe 14 2295.08x
Birmingham 12 2.64x
Newport 12 64.27x
Broughton In Salford 11 18.73x
Dunstable 10 116.14x
Oxford St Thomas 10 64.10x
Stratford On Avon 10 132.10x
Eggington 9 1764.71x
Houghton Regis 9 201.34x
Kensington London 9 2.99x
Marsh Gibbon 9 652.17x
Pixley 9 5000.00x
Battersea 8 4.02x
Stoke Newington London 8 18.97x
Writtle 8 183.07x
Aldershot 7 18.83x
Bradwell 7 151.84x
Chislehurst 7 70.64x
Friern Barnet 7 58.68x
Gayton 7 654.21x
Luton 7 14.42x
Mile End Old Town London 7 6.07x
Mordiford 7 660.38x
Willesden 7 13.72x
Charwelton 6 1764.71x
Clifton Reynes 6 1538.46x
Poplar London 6 5.87x
Stoke Bruern 6 384.62x
Towcester 6 114.29x
Bugbrooke 5 299.40x
Hereford St Peter 5 84.32x
Northampton St Sepulchre 5 19.30x
Stevenage 5 86.36x
Daventry 4 55.56x
Kingswinford 4 6.03x
Neithrop 4 35.59x
Nether Heyford 4 266.67x
Paddington London 4 2.01x
Stony Stratford West 4 177.78x
Tilsworth 4 869.57x
Upton Cum Chalvey 4 30.67x
Whittlebury 4 434.78x
Woburn 4 164.61x
Ardwick 3 5.18x
Brightside Bierlow 3 2.85x
Ecclesfield 3 7.63x
Everdon 3 285.71x
Eversholt 3 211.27x
Hereford St Owen 3 40.93x
Ilkeston 3 12.63x
Islington London 3 0.57x
Lidlington 3 245.90x
Loughton 3 500.00x
Masham 3 151.52x
Reading St Mary 3 9.22x
St Martin In Fields 3 9.26x
Stoke Goldington 3 200.00x
Wallingford St Mary Le 3 130.43x
Aston 2 0.53x
Bromley London 2 1.68x
Buxted 2 56.02x
Heworth 2 6.30x
Hillesden 2 487.80x
Hurst 2 37.59x
Kimberworth 2 6.72x
Newington 2 1.00x
Ridgmont 2 144.93x
Ripon 2 16.06x
Stretford 2 5.66x
Tottenham 2 2.32x
Upton On Severn 2 43.20x
Wardington 2 173.91x
Westminster St Margaret 2 7.66x

FAQ

Inns surname: questions and answers

How common was the Inns surname in 1881?

In 1881, 554 people were recorded with the Inns surname. That placed it at #6,228 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Inns surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 745 in 2016. That gives Inns a modern rank of #7,333.

What does the Inns surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone who lived near or operated an inn.

What does the Inns map show?

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