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

Imrie, 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 Imrie surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Imrie in America

Imrie is the 44500th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Imrie surname appeared 483 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 Imrie.

We can also compare 2010 data for Imrie 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 Imrie

The surname IMRIE has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name "Iomhair" or "Iomhar," which means "a bear" or "a bear warrior." The name likely originated from the Clan MacIver, a branch of the Clan Donald, one of the largest Scottish clans in the Western Isles and mainland Argyll.

The earliest recorded instance of the IMRIE name can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1538, where a certain "Johne Imry" is mentioned. The name also appears in the records of the Burgh of Rothesay on the Isle of Bute in 1622, referring to a "John Imrie."

One of the earliest documented individuals with the IMRIE surname was Alexander Imrie (1679-1743), a Scottish merchant and shipowner from Greenock, who was involved in the transatlantic trade and owned several vessels engaged in the West Indies trade.

In the 18th century, the name appeared in various records from the Scottish Highlands and Islands. For instance, the parish records of Campbeltown, Argyll, mention a Donald Imrie in 1748, and the Old Parish Registers of Kilchoman, Islay, record the baptism of a child named Imrie in 1761.

A notable bearer of the IMRIE name was John Imrie (1794-1859), a Scottish architect who designed several prominent buildings in Edinburgh, including the Royal Scottish Academy and the National Gallery of Scotland.

Another famous IMRIE was William Imrie (1826-1890), a Scottish-born Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Council of Manitoba from 1870 to 1876.

In the 19th century, the IMRIE surname spread beyond Scotland, with individuals bearing the name found in various parts of the British Empire. For example, John Imrie (1823-1900) was a Scottish-born surveyor and civil engineer who worked in South Africa and is credited with designing the first railway line in the Cape Colony.

The IMRIE name also has a connection to the Scottish Enlightenment, with John Imrie (1758-1846), a Scottish philosopher and writer who published works on ethics and philosophy of mind.

While the IMRIE surname is relatively uncommon, it has a rich history rooted in the Scottish Highlands and Islands, with bearers of the name leaving their mark in various fields, from architecture and engineering to philosophy and politics.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Imrie

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

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 Imrie 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 Imrie 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 Imrie was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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