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

Inch, 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 Inch surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Inch in America

Inch is the 32865th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Inch surname appeared 698 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 Inch.

We can also compare 2010 data for Inch 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 Inch

The surname Inch is of English origin and dates back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "ince," meaning a narrow strip of land or a small island.

The Inch name was initially concentrated in areas of England with waterways, marshes, or coastal regions, such as East Anglia, Essex, and Kent. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire and Essex from the late 13th century.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are references to place names like "Ince" and "Inch," which may have influenced the surname's development. The name was also associated with landowners or people residing near such geographical features.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname is John de Inch, who lived in Northamptonshire in the late 13th century. Another early bearer was Robert de Inch, mentioned in the Suffolk Feet of Fines in 1310.

Notable people with the surname Inch include:

1. Richard Inch (1572-1623), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Emmanuel College, Cambridge.
2. Hendrick Inch (1670-1719), a Dutch painter known for his still-life paintings and landscapes.
3. William Inch (1793-1878), a Scottish poet and songwriter born in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire.
4. Thomas Inch (1809-1882), a Scottish-born Australian politician and businessman who served as a member of the Legislative Council of New South Wales.
5. John Inch (1836-1898), a British architect known for his work on churches and public buildings in London and the surrounding areas.

The Inch surname has also been associated with various place names, such as Inch in Wiltshire, Inch Island in Donegal, Ireland, and Inch Abbey in County Down, Northern Ireland. Over time, the name has spread to other parts of the British Isles and beyond, reflecting the migration patterns of its bearers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Inch

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

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

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

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