2000
#1,386
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 23,460
First available Census row
Per 100,000 8.70
Uncommon Last name
Inman
Derived from a place name meaning "inn man," referring to an innkeeper or one who lived near an inn.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 26,047 Americans carry the last name Inman. That puts it at #1,540 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 13,159 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Inman 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 Inman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
26K
1 in 13,159
Census rank
#1,540
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
23K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 22,714 bearers of the surname Inman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1540th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Inman, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.5%. The next largest groups are Black (6.5%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Inman
Among Census respondents with the surname Inman, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.5%. The next largest groups are Black (6.5%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Inman 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 Inman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.5% · 19,427
- Black or African American6.5% · 1,472
- Two or more races3.7% · 838
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 707
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 146
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 124
Timeline
Historical Census data for Inman
Inman 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
#1,474
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 24,222
+762 bearers (+3.2%)
Per 100,000 8.21
Rank movement Down 88 places
2020
#1,540
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,714
-1,508 bearers (-6.2%)
Per 100,000 7.60
Rank movement Down 66 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,386 | 23,460 | 8.70 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,474 | 24,222 | 8.21 | +762 bearers (+3.2%) | Down 88 places |
| 2020 | #1,540 | 22,714 | 7.60 | -1,508 bearers (-6.2%) | Down 66 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 Inman 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 | #1,474 | #1,540 | -4.5% |
| Count | 24,222 | 22,714 | -6.2% |
| Per 100K | 8.21 | 7.60 | -7.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Inman bearers went from 24,222 to 22,714 (-6.2% change). The surname moved down 66 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,474 to #1,540.
FAQ
Inman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Inman?
Name Census estimates that about 26,047 living Americans carry the surname Inman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 13,159 residents.
How common is Inman?
Inman ranks #1,540 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.60 per 100,000 residents, which is about 8 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 22,714 people with the surname Inman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (26,047), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.60 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 8 of them to have the surname Inman.
Has Inman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Inman went from 24,222 recorded bearers to 22,714. That is a decrease of 1,508 (-6.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,474 to #1,540.
What does the Census say about the background of Inman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Inman, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.5%. The next largest groups are Black (6.5%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Inman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.5% (19,427 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Inman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.5%), Black (6.5%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Inman (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 Inman mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "inn man," referring to an innkeeper or one who lived near an inn. 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 Inman (7.60 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 common is the surname Inman?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Inman on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.