2000
#5,073
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,344
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.35
Rare Last name
Ingersoll
Derived from a place name meaning "Ingvar's hall" in Old English, referring to a Scandinavian settler.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,197 Americans carry the last name Ingersoll. That puts it at #5,363 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 47,625 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ingersoll 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
7.2K
1 in 47,625
Census rank
#5,363
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,276 bearers of the surname Ingersoll in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5363rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ingersoll, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ingersoll
The surname Ingersoll has its origins in England and is derived from the Old English words "Ingeres" and "hyll", meaning "Inger's hill". It is believed to have originated as a place name for a settlement located on a hill belonging to someone named Inger.
The earliest recorded use of the surname Ingersoll can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Ingehillsun". This entry suggests that the name was already established in England during the 11th century.
In the 13th century, the surname was recorded as "Ingerissole" and "Ingeressole" in various legal documents and records. These spellings further reinforce the connection to the Old English words that formed the name's origin.
The Ingersoll surname can also be linked to several place names in England, such as Ingersoll in Bedfordshire and Ingersoll in Oxfordshire. These locations likely derived their names from the surname or vice versa, indicating a strong historical presence in those areas.
One notable figure bearing the Ingersoll surname was Robert Green Ingersoll (1833-1899), an American lawyer, orator, and renowned agnostic thinker. He was known for his passionate defense of free thought and criticism of religious dogma.
Another prominent individual was Ralph Ingersoll (1900-1985), an American publisher and founder of the PM newspaper. He was a vocal advocate for civil liberties and was known for his progressive views on social issues.
In the realm of literature, Robert Ingersoll (1786-1868), an American writer and poet, gained recognition for his works that celebrated nature and explored philosophical themes.
Thomas Ingersoll (1749-1812) was a prominent American lawyer and politician who served as a delegate to the Continental Congress and later as a judge in Pennsylvania.
Lastly, Jonathan Ingersoll (1747-1823) was an American lawyer and politician who played a significant role in the American Revolution and served as a member of the Continental Congress.
These examples demonstrate the widespread presence of the Ingersoll surname throughout history, with individuals making notable contributions across various fields, including law, politics, literature, and social advocacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ingersoll
Among Census respondents with the surname Ingersoll, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Ingersoll 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 Ingersoll surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.9% · 5,577
- Two or more races3.9% · 247
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 210
- Black or African American2.3% · 145
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 61
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 36
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ingersoll
Ingersoll 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
#5,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,388
+44 bearers (+0.7%)
Per 100,000 2.17
Rank movement Down 376 places
2020
#5,363
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,276
-112 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 2.10
Rank movement Up 86 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,073 | 6,344 | 2.35 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,449 | 6,388 | 2.17 | +44 bearers (+0.7%) | Down 376 places |
| 2020 | #5,363 | 6,276 | 2.10 | -112 bearers (-1.8%) | Up 86 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 Ingersoll 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 | #5,449 | #5,363 | 1.6% |
| Count | 6,388 | 6,276 | -1.8% |
| Per 100K | 2.17 | 2.10 | -3.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ingersoll bearers went from 6,388 to 6,276 (-1.8% change). The surname moved up 86 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,449 to #5,363.
FAQ
Ingersoll surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ingersoll?
Name Census estimates that about 7,197 living Americans carry the surname Ingersoll. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 47,625 residents.
How common is Ingersoll?
Ingersoll ranks #5,363 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.10 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,276 people with the surname Ingersoll. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,197), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.10 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Ingersoll.
Has Ingersoll become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ingersoll went from 6,388 recorded bearers to 6,276. That is a decrease of 112 (-1.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,449 to #5,363.
What does the Census say about the background of Ingersoll?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ingersoll, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.3%). 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 Ingersoll in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.9% (5,577 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ingersoll appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.9%), Two or More Races (3.9%), Hispanic (3.3%). 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 Ingersoll (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 Ingersoll mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "Ingvar's hall" in Old English, referring to a Scandinavian settler. 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 Ingersoll (2.10 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 Ingersoll?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Ingersoll? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.