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

Inman, 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 Inman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Inman in America

Inman is the 1474th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Inman surname appeared 24,222 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 8 people would have the surname Inman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Inman 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 Inman

The surname Inman has its origins in England, where it first emerged in the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "inne" meaning "in" and "mann" meaning "man," effectively translating to "the inside man" or "the man within." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived or worked within a particular establishment or manor.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, which mention a Robert Inman. Additionally, the Hundred Rolls of 1273 list a John Inman in Oxfordshire, indicating the name's presence in different regions of England during the medieval period.

The Inman surname is also closely linked to various place names, such as Inman Thorpe in Yorkshire, which was recorded as "Ingemantorp" in the Domesday Book of 1086. This connection implies that some Inmans may have derived their surname from the areas in which they resided.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Inman surname. One of the earliest was Sir Walter Inman (c. 1370-1440), a prominent merchant and Lord Mayor of London in 1437. Another distinguished figure was Robert Inman (c. 1595-1672), an English Puritan minister and author who played a significant role in the religious conflicts of the 17th century.

In the 18th century, Ralph Inman (1721-1788) was a wealthy English merchant and philanthropist who endowed several schools and charities in his hometown of Leeds. Later, Henry Inman (1801-1846) gained recognition as an American portrait painter, celebrated for his works depicting notable figures of his time.

One of the most famous Inmans was Walter Inman (1837-1909), a British soldier and recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest military decoration awarded for valor in the British armed forces. His courageous actions during the Indian Mutiny of 1857 earned him this prestigious honor.

While the Inman surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and other English-speaking countries, thanks to migration and exploration over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Inman

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

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

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

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