2000
#119,644
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 134
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Ingeman
A Swedish surname derived from the Scandinavian name meaning "son of Inge".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Ingeman. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ingeman 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.
Bearers in the US
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Ingeman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ingeman, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Black (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ingeman
The surname Ingeman has its origins in the Scandinavian countries, particularly in Denmark and Norway. It likely emerged during the Viking Age, between the 8th and 11th centuries AD. The name is derived from the Old Norse words "inge" meaning "son" and "man" meaning "man" or "warrior." Thus, the name Ingeman could have originally referred to a man who was a son of a warrior or a son of a respected individual in the community.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ingeman can be found in the Danish census records of the 14th century. The name appears in various spellings such as "Ingheman," "Inghmand," and "Ingemanth" during this period. These variations suggest that the name was well-established in the region and had undergone some linguistic changes over time.
Historically, the Ingeman surname has been linked to several notable individuals. One such figure was Ingeman Olafsson (1548-1614), a Danish cleric and writer who authored several religious works and served as the Bishop of Viborg from 1608 until his death. Another prominent Ingeman was Bernhard Severin Ingemann (1789-1862), a Danish author, poet, and playwright renowned for his romantic writings and contributions to the Danish Golden Age literature.
In Norway, the Ingeman surname can be traced back to the 16th century. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this name was Hans Ingeman (1520-1583), a Norwegian landowner and farmer who lived in the Trøndelag region. Another notable Norwegian bearing the Ingeman surname was Jens Lauritz Ingeman (1786-1867), a Lutheran minister and poet who played a significant role in the revival of Danish and Norwegian romantic literature.
The Ingeman surname has also been associated with certain place names in Scandinavia. For instance, the village of Ingemanstrup in Denmark is believed to have derived its name from an individual named Ingeman who once resided in the area. Similarly, the farm Ingemannsgården in Norway may have been named after someone with the Ingeman surname who owned or lived on the property.
Throughout history, several other individuals with the Ingeman surname have made notable contributions in various fields. These include Vilhelm Ingeman (1841-1913), a Danish painter and art professor; Steen Ingemann (1888-1943), a Danish actor and film director; and Einar Ingemann (1901-1965), a Norwegian writer and journalist known for his works on Norwegian culture and history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ingeman
Among Census respondents with the surname Ingeman, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Black (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Ingeman 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 Ingeman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.4% · 96
- Black or African American2.9% · 3
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ingeman
Ingeman 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
#128,249
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
-1 bearers (-0.7%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 8,605 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-28 bearers (-21.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 24,740 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #119,644 | 134 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #128,249 | 133 | 0.05 | -1 bearers (-0.7%) | Down 8,605 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -28 bearers (-21.1%) | Down 24,740 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 Ingeman 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 | #128,249 | #152,989 | -19.3% |
| Count | 133 | 105 | -21.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -29.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ingeman bearers went from 133 to 105 (-21.1% change). The surname moved down 24,740 positions in the national ranking, going from #128,249 to #152,989.
FAQ
Ingeman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ingeman?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Ingeman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Ingeman?
Ingeman ranks #152,989 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 105 people with the surname Ingeman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Ingeman.
Has Ingeman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ingeman went from 133 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 28 (-21.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #128,249 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Ingeman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ingeman, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Black (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Ingeman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ingeman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.4%), Black (2.9%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Ingeman (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 Ingeman mean?
A Swedish surname derived from the Scandinavian name meaning "son of Inge". 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 Ingeman (0.04 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 are called Ingeman?
See how many people have the surname Ingeman on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.