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

Iness, 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 Iness surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Iness in America

Iness is the 114424th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Iness surname appeared 153 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 Iness.

We can also compare 2010 data for Iness 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 Iness

The surname "INESS" is believed to have originated in England during the late medieval period, deriving from an Old English word meaning "meadow" or "pasture." It is thought to have been a toponymic surname, referring to someone who lived near or owned land near a particular meadow or grassy area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Innes" in reference to a landowner in the county of Lincolnshire. This early spelling variation highlights the name's roots in Old English and its connection to rural areas.

Over the centuries, the name underwent various spelling changes, including "Inness," "Yness," and "Ynys," before eventually settling on the modern form of "INESS." These variations often reflected regional dialects and linguistic influences from other languages, such as Norman French.

Notable historical figures bearing the surname "INESS" include:

1. Robert Iness (c. 1560-1625), an English merchant and explorer who participated in several voyages to the Americas and the West Indies.
2. Elizabeth Iness (1674-1748), a British playwright and poet who wrote several popular works during the Restoration period.
3. John Iness (1805-1879), a Scottish architect responsible for designing several notable buildings in Edinburgh, including the Old College of the University of Edinburgh.
4. William Iness (1832-1901), a British soldier who served in the Crimean War and later became a prominent advocate for veterans' rights.
5. Margaret Iness (1892-1974), an American author and journalist known for her novels set in the American West during the late 19th century.

While the surname "INESS" is not particularly common today, it has a rich history rooted in the English countryside and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Iness

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

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

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

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