2000
#12,833
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,199
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.82
Rare Last name
Ince
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "island" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,664 Americans carry the last name Ince. That puts it at #12,691 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.78 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 128,662 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ince surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Ince with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.7K
1 in 128,662
Census rank
#12,691
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,323 bearers of the surname Ince in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.78 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12691st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ince, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.8%. The next largest groups are Black (17.1%) and Hispanic (5.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ince
The surname INCE is believed to have originated in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. It is derived from the Old English word "ince," which means "meadow" or "grassland." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or owned a meadow or grassland area.
The earliest recorded instances of the name INCE can be found in various historical documents, such as the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in multiple entries, indicating that it was already well-established by the late 11th century.
During the Middle Ages, the name INCE was often associated with specific locations or manors, leading to variations such as "de Ince" or "atte Ince." These variations likely referred to individuals who resided in or were associated with places named Ince, which were derived from the same Old English root.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname INCE was Sir John Ince, a prominent landowner and knight who lived in the 13th century. Another notable figure was Robert Ince, a member of the English Parliament who served during the reign of King Edward III in the 14th century.
In the 16th century, the name INCE gained recognition through the works of playwright and poet John Ince. He was born in Lancashire, England, in 1558 and is known for his contributions to the English Renaissance literary scene.
During the 17th century, the INCE surname was associated with several notable figures, including Joseph Ince, a renowned English architect who designed several churches and public buildings in London. He was born in 1648 and is regarded as a significant figure in the Baroque architectural movement.
In the 18th century, the name INCE was carried by William Ince, a prominent British naval officer and explorer. He was born in 1737 and is remembered for his voyages to the South Pacific and his contributions to the exploration of the region.
As the INCE surname spread throughout England and other parts of the British Isles, it became associated with various locations and place names, such as Ince Blundell in Lancashire, Ince-in-Makerfield in Greater Manchester, and Ince in Cheshire, among others.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ince
Among Census respondents with the surname Ince, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.8%. The next largest groups are Black (17.1%) and Hispanic (5.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Ince bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Ince surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White71.8% · 1,668
- Black or African American17.1% · 398
- Hispanic or Latino5.5% · 127
- Two or more races3.7% · 86
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 23
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ince
Ince appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#12,881
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,389
+190 bearers (+8.6%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Down 48 places
2020
#12,691
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,323
-66 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Up 190 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,833 | 2,199 | 0.82 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,881 | 2,389 | 0.81 | +190 bearers (+8.6%) | Down 48 places |
| 2020 | #12,691 | 2,323 | 0.78 | -66 bearers (-2.8%) | Up 190 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Ince surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #12,881 | #12,691 | 1.5% |
| Count | 2,389 | 2,323 | -2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.81 | 0.78 | -4.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ince bearers went from 2,389 to 2,323 (-2.8% change). The surname moved up 190 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,881 to #12,691.
FAQ
Ince surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ince?
Name Census estimates that about 2,664 living Americans carry the surname Ince. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 128,662 residents.
How common is Ince?
Ince ranks #12,691 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.78 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,323 people with the surname Ince. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,664), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.78 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.78 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Ince.
Has Ince become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ince went from 2,389 recorded bearers to 2,323. That is a decrease of 66 (-2.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,881 to #12,691.
What does the Census say about the background of Ince?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ince, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.8%. The next largest groups are Black (17.1%) and Hispanic (5.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ince in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.8% (1,668 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ince appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (71.8%), Black (17.1%), Hispanic (5.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Ince (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Ince mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "island" in Old English. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Ince (0.78 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Ince?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Ince, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.