2000
#13,119
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,137
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.79
Rare Last name
Inge
Derived from a Germanic personal name meaning "Ing's people," referring to descendants of an ancestor called Ing or Inga.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,304 Americans carry the last name Inge. That puts it at #14,325 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 148,765 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Inge 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 Inge with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 148,765
Census rank
#14,325
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,009 bearers of the surname Inge in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14325th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Inge, the largest self-reported group is White at 57.6%. The next largest groups are Black (33.2%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Inge
The surname Inge originated in England during the Anglo-Saxon period, derived from the Old English personal name Inga. This name is thought to have been a contracted form of various longer names containing the element "ing," which meant "son" or "descendant."
The earliest recorded instance of the surname Inge can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Inge" and "Inges." These entries likely refer to individuals residing in areas such as Lincolnshire and Yorkshire.
In the medieval period, the surname Inge was particularly prevalent in the East Midlands region of England. It was often associated with place names like Ingham, which is derived from the Old English words "inga" (meaning "people of") and "ham" (meaning "homestead" or "village").
One notable bearer of the surname Inge was William Inge (c. 1312-1368), an English philosopher and theologian who served as the Chancellor of the University of Oxford. He was a prominent figure in the scholastic tradition and wrote extensively on various philosophical and theological topics.
Another historically significant figure with the surname Inge was Sir William Inge (1857-1954), a British author, philosopher, and clergyman. He served as the Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral in London and was known for his works on mysticism and Christianity's role in modern society.
In the 16th century, the surname Inge appeared in various records related to the English Reformation. For instance, Hugh Inge (c. 1520-1558) was an English Protestant martyr who was burned at the stake for his religious beliefs during the reign of Queen Mary I.
The surname Inge has also been associated with notable figures in the arts and literature. For example, William Ralph Inge (1860-1954), known as the "Gloomy Dean," was an English author, philosopher, and Anglican priest who wrote extensively on theological and social issues.
Another prominent bearer of the surname Inge was William Vavasour Inge (1813-1858), an English artist and painter known for his landscape and genre paintings. His works were exhibited at the Royal Academy and other prestigious institutions during the Victorian era.
While the surname Inge has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, due to emigration and migration patterns over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Inge
Among Census respondents with the surname Inge, the largest self-reported group is White at 57.6%. The next largest groups are Black (33.2%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Inge 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 Inge surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White57.6% · 1,157
- Black or African American33.2% · 666
- Two or more races5.2% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 60
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Inge
Inge 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
#14,342
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,086
-51 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.71
Rank movement Down 1,223 places
2020
#14,325
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,009
-77 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Up 17 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,119 | 2,137 | 0.79 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,342 | 2,086 | 0.71 | -51 bearers (-2.4%) | Down 1,223 places |
| 2020 | #14,325 | 2,009 | 0.67 | -77 bearers (-3.7%) | Up 17 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 Inge 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 | #14,342 | #14,325 | 0.1% |
| Count | 2,086 | 2,009 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.71 | 0.67 | -5.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Inge bearers went from 2,086 to 2,009 (-3.7% change). The surname moved up 17 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,342 to #14,325.
FAQ
Inge surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Inge?
Name Census estimates that about 2,304 living Americans carry the surname Inge. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 148,765 residents.
How common is Inge?
Inge ranks #14,325 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.67 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 2,009 people with the surname Inge. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,304), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.67 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 Inge.
Has Inge become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Inge went from 2,086 recorded bearers to 2,009. That is a decrease of 77 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,342 to #14,325.
What does the Census say about the background of Inge?
Among Census respondents with the surname Inge, the largest self-reported group is White at 57.6%. The next largest groups are Black (33.2%) and Two or More Races (5.2%). 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 Inge in the 2020 Census, accounting for 57.6% (1,157 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Inge appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (57.6%), Black (33.2%), Two or More Races (5.2%). 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 Inge (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 Inge mean?
Derived from a Germanic personal name meaning "Ing's people," referring to descendants of an ancestor called Ing or Inga. 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 Inge (0.67 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 Inge?
You can see how many people have the surname Inge on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.