Ingram
What is the origin of the last name Ingram?
Meaning and origin
The last name Ingram originated from England, deriving from the Old English personal name "Engelram" or "Engelramm." The name consists of two elements: "Engel," meaning "angel" or "god," and "ramm," meaning "raven." Over time, "Engelram" evolved into "Ingram," a patronymic surname indicating descent from someone named Engelram. The name Ingram has been recorded since the 11th century and has rich historical associations, particularly in the north of England.
The longer story
Ingram is an English surname that originated from the Old Norse personal name Ingirāmr, composed of the elements Ing, meaning "a Danish or Norse god," and Rāmr, meaning "raven". This suggests that the name may have had both mythological and animalistic connotations.
The first recorded instance of the surname Ingram dates back to the 13th century in Norfolk, England. Over time, the name has evolved and taken on various spelling variations, including Ingraham, Ingham, and Ingrams.
For instance, Sir Thomas de Inghram was an English knight who fought alongside King Edward III in the Hundred Years' War.
Surname origins are rarely settled: one spelling can have several sources, and families often took a name for reasons nobody wrote down. Check it against the sources below before you rely on it.
Similar spellings
#484
Ingram was the 484th most common surname in the 2010 US Census, with 69,345 people, about 24 in every 100,000.
Who carries it
Where it is found
Countries linked to Ingram.
Surnames like Ingram
Names it is linked with, then names with the same origin and a similar standing.
Check the sources
- Forebears: where Ingram is found around the world
- The Internet Surname Database: a second opinion on the origin
- US Census Bureau: the 2010 surname figures used here
For a name you are serious about, compare the dictionaries: Reaney and Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames; Hanks, Dictionary of American Family Names.