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

Inness, 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 Inness surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Inness in America

Inness is the 63218th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Inness surname appeared 316 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 Inness.

We can also compare 2010 data for Inness 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 Inness

The surname INNESS originates from Scotland, where it first appeared around the 12th century. It is believed to be a regional name derived from the Innes estate in Moray, Scotland. The name is thought to be derived from the Gaelic word "innis," meaning island or meadow.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname INNESS can be found in the Charter of David I, King of Scotland, in the year 1171. The charter mentions a "Walter de Ineis" as a witness, suggesting the name was already established in that region during that time period.

In the late 13th century, Sir Robert de Innes was recorded as the owner of the Innes estate in Moray. He is believed to be one of the earliest known members of the INNESS family lineage.

The INNESS name is also mentioned in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from the late 13th century, which documented various transactions and payments made by individuals with this surname.

During the 16th century, a notable figure with the INNESS surname was Sir Robert Innes (c. 1540-1610), who served as a Scottish diplomat and was appointed as the Lord of Innes.

In the 17th century, Sir Walter Innes (1604-1676) was a Scottish politician and member of the Parliament of Scotland, representing the county of Moray.

Another significant individual with the INNESS surname was George Inness (1825-1894), an influential American landscape painter known for his distinctive tonalist style. He was born in Newburgh, New York, but his family roots traced back to Scotland.

Other notable figures with the INNESS surname include:

• John Inness (1800-1868), a Scottish poet and writer.
• John Inness (1857-1932), a Scottish architect based in Edinburgh.
• George Inness Jr. (1854-1926), an American painter and son of George Inness.
• William Inness (1841-1885), an American landscape painter and brother of George Inness.

The INNESS surname has maintained a strong presence in Scotland, particularly in the Moray region, where it originated. However, it has also spread to other parts of the world, including the United States, through migration and family lines.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Inness

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

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

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

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