Find out how popular the last name Impey is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Impey.

Impey, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Impey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Impey in America

Impey is the 99378th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Impey surname appeared 182 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Impey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Impey to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Impey

The surname Impey has its roots in England, originating in the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "imp," which referred to a young sprout or shoot. This connection suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive one, perhaps referring to a person's small stature or youthful appearance.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire, dated 1195, where a Robert Impey is mentioned. This document provides evidence of the name's existence in England during the late 12th century.

In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various records across different counties in England, including Yorkshire, Wiltshire, and Oxfordshire. The Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279 list a Richard Impey, while the Subsidy Rolls of Wiltshire from 1332 mention a John Impey.

The name Impey has also been linked to the village of Impey in Herefordshire, which may have served as a place of origin for some bearers of the surname. This connection suggests a possible alternative derivation from a locational surname, referring to someone from that particular place.

Notable individuals bearing the surname Impey include Sir Elijah Impey (1732-1809), a British lawyer and the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Judicature at Fort William in Bengal, India. Another prominent figure was Michael Impey (1753-1857), an English-born British Army officer who served in the East India Company and later became a member of the Supreme Council of Bengal.

In the realm of literature, John Impey (1768-1839) was an English poet and writer, known for his works such as "Nugae Antiquae" and "Lays of the Laureates." Additionally, Edward Impey (1837-1904) was an English-born Australian journalist and author, who wrote several books on Australian history and culture.

The surname Impey has also been associated with the field of science, with individuals like Sir Albert Impey (1882-1960), a British chemist and educator who served as the Principal of the Royal College of Science and Technology in Glasgow.

These examples illustrate the historical presence and significance of the surname Impey across various fields and regions, reflecting its English origins and evolution over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Impey

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Impey.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Impey was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Impey has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Impey was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Impey, please contact us.

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