2000
#8,997
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,341
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.24
Rare Last name
Ingham
A locational surname referring to someone from a place called Ingham, derived from the Old English "ing" and "ham".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,709 Americans carry the last name Ingham. That puts it at #9,606 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 92,412 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ingham 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 Ingham with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.7K
1 in 92,412
Census rank
#9,606
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,234 bearers of the surname Ingham in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9606th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ingham, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ingham
The surname Ingham has its origins in England, specifically in the northern counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire. It is derived from the Old English words "ing," meaning meadow or pasture, and "ham," meaning homestead or village. Therefore, Ingham can be interpreted as "homestead on the meadow."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ingham is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Ingheham." This document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, served as a comprehensive survey of landholdings and population in England after the Norman Conquest.
During the medieval period, the name was also spelled in various ways, such as Ingham, Ingam, and Yngham. These variations reflect the regional dialects and scribal practices of the time. One notable early bearer of the name was John de Ingham, who served as Lord Chancellor of England from 1323 to 1324 under King Edward II.
The surname Ingham is closely associated with several place names in England, particularly the villages of Ingham in Norfolk and Ingham in Lincolnshire. These place names likely influenced the development and spread of the surname in those regions.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Ingham:
1. Benjamin Ingham (1712-1772), an English evangelist and follower of John Wesley, who established Methodist societies in North America.
2. Mary Butcher Ingham (1633-1717), an English Quaker writer and preacher who wrote several religious works.
3. Samuel Ingham (1793-1860), an English inventor and engineer who contributed to the development of the screw propeller for ships.
4. William Ingham (1854-1920), an English cricketer who played for Yorkshire County Cricket Club and England.
5. George Ingham (1886-1952), an English football player who played as a forward for several clubs, including West Bromwich Albion and Aston Villa.
The surname Ingham has endured throughout the centuries, reflecting its English origins and the historical significance of place names and homesteads in meadows or pastures. While it has spread globally, its roots can be traced back to the northern counties of England and the linguistic heritage of Old English.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ingham
Among Census respondents with the surname Ingham, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Ingham 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 Ingham surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.3% · 2,887
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 126
- Two or more races3.0% · 97
- Black or African American2.4% · 79
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 30
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ingham
Ingham 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
#9,338
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,487
+146 bearers (+4.4%)
Per 100,000 1.18
Rank movement Down 341 places
2020
#9,606
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,234
-253 bearers (-7.3%)
Per 100,000 1.08
Rank movement Down 268 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,997 | 3,341 | 1.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,338 | 3,487 | 1.18 | +146 bearers (+4.4%) | Down 341 places |
| 2020 | #9,606 | 3,234 | 1.08 | -253 bearers (-7.3%) | Down 268 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 Ingham 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 | #9,338 | #9,606 | -2.9% |
| Count | 3,487 | 3,234 | -7.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.18 | 1.08 | -8.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ingham bearers went from 3,487 to 3,234 (-7.3% change). The surname moved down 268 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,338 to #9,606.
FAQ
Ingham surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ingham?
Name Census estimates that about 3,709 living Americans carry the surname Ingham. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 92,412 residents.
How common is Ingham?
Ingham ranks #9,606 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.08 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 3,234 people with the surname Ingham. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,709), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.08 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 Ingham.
Has Ingham become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ingham went from 3,487 recorded bearers to 3,234. That is a decrease of 253 (-7.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,338 to #9,606.
What does the Census say about the background of Ingham?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ingham, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Ingham in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.3% (2,887 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ingham appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.3%), Hispanic (3.9%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Ingham (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 Ingham mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from a place called Ingham, derived from the Old English "ing" and "ham". 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 Ingham (1.08 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 surname Ingham?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.