NameCensus.

UK surname

Inwood

A locational surname derived from a place called Inwood.

In the 1881 census there were 714 people recorded with the Inwood surname, ranking it #5,094 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 964, ranked #5,964, down from #5,094 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Northamptonshire, Wandsworth and Basildon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Inwood is 1,150 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 35.0%.

1881 census count

714

Ranked #5,094

Modern count

964

2016, ranked #5,964

Peak year

1911

1,150 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Inwood had 714 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,094 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 964 in 2016, ranked #5,964.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,150 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Inwood surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Inwood surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Inwood 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 568 #4,481
1861 historical 459 #5,654
1881 historical 714 #5,094
1891 historical 791 #5,081
1901 historical 1,044 #4,583
1911 historical 1,150 #4,059
1997 modern 1,067 #5,207
1998 modern 1,109 #5,221
1999 modern 1,121 #5,216
2000 modern 1,093 #5,294
2001 modern 1,056 #5,345
2002 modern 1,053 #5,460
2003 modern 1,027 #5,483
2004 modern 1,031 #5,475
2005 modern 1,019 #5,463
2006 modern 994 #5,591
2007 modern 985 #5,675
2008 modern 1,004 #5,635
2009 modern 1,024 #5,658
2010 modern 1,037 #5,707
2011 modern 1,016 #5,745
2012 modern 968 #5,882
2013 modern 996 #5,846
2014 modern 990 #5,904
2015 modern 971 #5,953
2016 modern 964 #5,964

Geography

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Where Inwoods are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory and St Marylebone. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Northamptonshire, Wandsworth, Basildon, East Staffordshire and Chelmsford. 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 Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory Northamptonshire
5 St Marylebone London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Northamptonshire 003 South Northamptonshire
2 Wandsworth 026 Wandsworth
3 Basildon 020 Basildon
4 East Staffordshire 007 East Staffordshire
5 Chelmsford 016 Chelmsford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Inwood

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Inwood

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Inwood, 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 Inwood surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Inwood household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

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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, Inwood 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

Inwood is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Inwood 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 Inwood 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 Inwood, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Inwood

The surname Inwood originates from England and dates back to the late 12th century. It is a locational name derived from the Old English words "in" meaning within or in and "wudu" meaning wood, referring to someone who lived near or within a wooded area. The earliest recorded spelling of the name was found in the Pipe Rolls of Hertfordshire in 1198, where it appeared as Ingwode.

The name is believed to have originated in the county of Essex, where several places bear the name Inwood or Inworth. One such place is the hamlet of Inworth, near the town of Feering, which was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Inuuorda". This suggests that the name Inwood has roots in the Anglo-Saxon era.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Robert de Inewode, who was mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1272. Another early reference to the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where it appeared as John Inewode.

Several notable individuals have borne the surname Inwood throughout history. One of the earliest was Sir John Inwood (1447-1518), an English politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1500-1501. Another prominent figure was Henry William Inwood (1794-1843), a renowned English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including St. Pancras New Church and the Euston Arch.

Other notable Inwoods include William Inwood (1771-1843), an English landscape painter and engraver, and Henry William Inwood (1839-1923), an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Kent County Cricket Club in the late 19th century. Additionally, William Henry Inwood (1860-1936) was a British mathematician and Fellow of the Royal Society.

While the name Inwood has its origins in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange. However, its roots remain firmly planted in the wooded areas of Essex and the surrounding regions, where it first emerged as a descriptive surname centuries ago.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Inwood families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Inwood 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. Middlesex leads with 191 Inwoods recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.76x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 191 2.76x
Surrey 137 4.06x
Kent 80 3.39x
Northamptonshire 65 9.98x
Buckinghamshire 59 14.09x
Hampshire 36 2.54x
Hertfordshire 31 6.49x
Warwickshire 20 1.15x
Bedfordshire 14 3.90x
Sussex 13 1.11x
Lancashire 12 0.15x
Oxfordshire 11 2.57x
Staffordshire 10 0.43x
Berkshire 8 1.54x
Norfolk 6 0.56x
Yorkshire 6 0.09x
Worcestershire 4 0.44x
Midlothian 3 0.32x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.21x
Cheshire 1 0.07x
Durham 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. Northampton Priory St in Northamptonshire leads with 32 Inwoods recorded in 1881 and an index of 81.86x.

Place Total Index
Northampton Priory St 32 81.86x
St Marylebone London 23 6.22x
Camberwell 21 4.75x
Islington London 18 2.68x
Rainham 17 261.94x
Kensington London 16 4.16x
St Pancras London 16 2.87x
Binsted 15 277.26x
Chatham 14 21.54x
Bethnal Green London 13 4.32x
Kingston On Thames 13 16.04x
Westminster St John 13 15.41x
Shere 12 294.12x
Weston Turville 12 615.38x
Birmingham 11 1.89x
Dallington 11 287.21x
Luton 11 17.72x
Acton 10 24.63x
Newport Pagnell 10 114.16x
Norwood 10 63.13x
Steeple Claydon 10 495.05x
Godalming 9 42.37x
Rugby 9 38.09x
St Albans 9 92.02x
Aldershot 8 16.82x
Bermondsey 8 3.88x
Bushey 8 70.36x
Chelsea London 8 3.83x
Greenwich 8 7.26x
Lambeth 8 1.32x
Walton On Thames 8 51.61x
Shoreditch London 7 2.33x
St Albans St Stephen 7 167.87x
St Botolph Bishopsgate 7 71.43x
St George Hanover Square 7 5.74x
Wavendon 7 301.72x
Bromley London 6 3.94x
Burton Upon Trent 6 10.97x
Chesterton 6 789.47x
Ewhurst 6 284.36x
Faversham 6 26.63x
Liss 6 207.61x
Plumstead 6 7.62x
Sandhurst 6 59.58x
Stoke Bruern 6 301.51x
West Dean 6 344.83x
Westminster St James 6 8.43x
Battersea 5 1.96x
Broughton In Salford 5 6.65x
Great Woolstone 5 2631.58x
Hastings All Sts 5 45.45x
Kingsthorpe 5 69.06x
Newington In Milton 5 203.25x
Northampton St Sepulchre 5 15.09x
Norwich St Saviour 5 133.69x
Reigate Foreign 5 13.68x
St Mary Colechurch London 5 8333.33x
West Horsley 5 352.11x
Bletchingley 4 90.91x
Calverley Cum Farsley 4 20.52x
Egham 4 19.31x
Northampton St Giles 4 16.12x
Offley 4 128.62x
Simpson 4 228.57x
Smeeth 4 272.11x
Southwark St George Martyr 4 2.87x
St Luke London 4 3.60x
Bedford St Paul 3 12.20x
Bradwell 3 50.93x
Carshalton 3 23.24x
Cowley 3 22.47x
Ealing 3 4.85x
Harborne 3 4.00x
Lewisham 3 2.38x
Manchester 3 0.81x
North Leith 3 6.99x
Paddington London 3 1.18x
St Andrew Holborn London 3 10.00x
St Lawrence 3 18.46x
Worcester All Sts 3 57.25x

FAQ

Inwood surname: questions and answers

How common was the Inwood surname in 1881?

In 1881, 714 people were recorded with the Inwood surname. That placed it at #5,094 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Inwood surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 964 in 2016. That gives Inwood a modern rank of #5,964.

What does the Inwood surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place called Inwood.

What does the Inwood map show?

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