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

Ink, 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 Ink surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ink in America

Ink is the 89403rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ink surname appeared 207 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 Ink.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ink 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 Ink

The surname Ink originated from the Middle English word "inke", which was derived from the Old French "enque" or the Old Dutch "inkt". These words all referred to the black liquid used for writing, which was initially made from plant-based dyes and later from iron gall compounds and other materials.

The name Ink likely emerged as an occupational surname in England and the Netherlands, given to those who worked as ink makers, scribes, or writers. It first appeared in historical records in the late 13th century, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, England, which mentioned a Walter le Inker in 1275.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was John Ink, a merchant from Bristol, England, who was mentioned in the city's records in 1349. Another early reference comes from the Netherlands, where a Ghijsbrecht Ink was recorded in the city of Leiden in 1398.

In the 15th century, the name Ink appeared in various forms, such as Inke, Ynke, and Incke, reflecting regional spelling variations. Notable individuals from this period include William Inke, a landowner in Oxfordshire, England, mentioned in the Feet of Fines records in 1428, and Johannes Inck, a merchant from Lübeck, Germany, who traded in the Baltic region in the 1460s.

As the name spread across Europe, it took on new forms and meanings. In Germany, the name Inck was sometimes associated with the word "Ingwer" (ginger), suggesting a possible connection to the spice trade. In the Netherlands, the name Ink was sometimes rendered as "Inck" or "Ingh", and it was particularly prevalent in the provinces of Friesland and Groningen.

Notable bearers of the Ink surname include:

1. John Ink (c. 1560-1637), an English poet and playwright from Wiltshire, known for his works "The Discription of a New Play" and "The Damnable Life and Deserved Death of Dr. John Faustus".

2. Pieter Ink (1644-1719), a Dutch Golden Age painter known for his portraits and genre scenes.

3. Johann Ink (1697-1768), a German composer and organist from Saxony, who wrote sacred music for the Lutheran church.

4. Gerrit Ink (1779-1845), a Dutch politician and jurist who served as the mayor of Amsterdam from 1818 to 1834.

5. Charlotte Ink (1811-1891), an American abolitionist and women's rights activist from New York, who worked alongside figures like Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony.

The surname Ink has a rich history spanning several centuries and countries, reflecting its origins as an occupational name associated with the production and use of ink for writing and manuscript illumination.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ink

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

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

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

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