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

Inches, 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 Inches surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Inches in America

Inches is the 157234th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Inches surname appeared 103 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 Inches.

We can also compare 2010 data for Inches 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 Inches

The surname "INCHES" is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is likely derived from the Old English word "ince," which referred to a strip or narrow piece of land.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "de Inces." This suggests that the name was initially used as a locative surname, referring to someone who lived near or owned a strip of land.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name began to appear in various forms, such as "Inche," "Ynche," and "Ynches." These variations were likely due to regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling practices of the time.

One notable bearer of the name was Sir John Inches, a prominent landowner and knight who lived in Lincolnshire during the 14th century. He was recorded as holding several manors and estates in the county.

In the 15th century, the name "Inches" started to become more widespread across England. One example was Thomas Inches, who was born in Gloucestershire around 1420 and served as a member of the local gentry.

By the 16th century, the name had spread to other parts of the British Isles. In Scotland, for instance, there are records of a family named Inches residing in the Borders region during the late 1500s.

Another notable individual with this surname was Sir Robert Inches, who lived in Warwickshire during the 17th century. He was a wealthy landowner and served as a Member of Parliament for the county in the 1640s.

In the 18th century, the name "Inches" continued to be associated with landownership and agriculture. One example was John Inches, a wealthy farmer from Yorkshire, who was born in 1712 and left a substantial inheritance to his descendants.

As the centuries passed, the name "Inches" became more widespread and began to appear in various parts of the English-speaking world, particularly in North America and other former British colonies.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Inches

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

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

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

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