2000
#13,584
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,050
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.76
Rare Last name
Innis
Of Scottish and Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic word "inis," meaning "island" or "from the river island."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,149 Americans carry the last name Innis. That puts it at #15,111 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 159,495 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Innis 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 Innis with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 159,495
Census rank
#15,111
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,874 bearers of the surname Innis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15111th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Innis, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.3%. The next largest groups are Black (21.1%) and Hispanic (5.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Innis
The surname INNIS is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic word "innis," meaning island or meadow. It is believed to have originated in the Hebrides Islands, off the western coast of Scotland, where many families with this name resided.
The earliest recorded instance of the INNIS surname dates back to the 13th century, when a Robert de Innis was mentioned in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1264. This suggests that the name was in use by the mid-13th century, possibly referring to a family residing on an island or meadow in the Hebrides.
In the 16th century, the INNIS name appeared in the records of the Clan Mackenzie, a powerful Scottish clan based in Ross-shire. The Innises were a sept, or branch, of the Clan Mackenzie, and they were known for their allegiance and service to the clan chiefs.
One notable figure in Scottish history bearing the INNIS surname was Robert Innis (c. 1570-1644), a Scottish minister and scholar. He served as the minister of the parish of Dornoch and was renowned for his theological writings and contributions to the Church of Scotland.
Another historical figure was John Innis (1768-1847), a Scottish-born merchant and entrepreneur who settled in Canada. He played a significant role in the development of the fur trade and the establishment of the Hudson's Bay Company's operations in western Canada.
In the United States, the INNIS surname can be traced back to the 18th century, when Scottish immigrants began arriving in the American colonies. One notable American with this surname was George Innis (1752-1833), a Revolutionary War soldier who fought in several major battles, including the Battle of Saratoga.
The INNIS surname has also been associated with various place names, particularly in Scotland. For example, Innis House, a historic manor house in Elgin, Scotland, and Innishowen, a peninsula in County Donegal, Ireland, both derive their names from the Gaelic word "innis."
Throughout history, the INNIS surname has been spelled in various ways, including Innes, Inniss, and Inneys, reflecting regional variations and cultural influences. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remain rooted in the Scottish Gaelic language and the geographical features of the Hebrides Islands.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Innis
Among Census respondents with the surname Innis, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.3%. The next largest groups are Black (21.1%) and Hispanic (5.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Innis 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 Innis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White67.3% · 1,261
- Black or African American21.1% · 396
- Hispanic or Latino5.4% · 101
- Two or more races4.5% · 84
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Innis
Innis 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
#14,724
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,018
-32 bearers (-1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Down 1,140 places
2020
#15,111
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,874
-144 bearers (-7.1%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Down 387 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,584 | 2,050 | 0.76 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,724 | 2,018 | 0.68 | -32 bearers (-1.6%) | Down 1,140 places |
| 2020 | #15,111 | 1,874 | 0.63 | -144 bearers (-7.1%) | Down 387 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 Innis 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 | #14,724 | #15,111 | -2.6% |
| Count | 2,018 | 1,874 | -7.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.68 | 0.63 | -7.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Innis bearers went from 2,018 to 1,874 (-7.1% change). The surname moved down 387 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,724 to #15,111.
FAQ
Innis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Innis?
Name Census estimates that about 2,149 living Americans carry the surname Innis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 159,495 residents.
How common is Innis?
Innis ranks #15,111 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.63 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 1,874 people with the surname Innis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,149), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.63 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 Innis.
Has Innis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Innis went from 2,018 recorded bearers to 1,874. That is a decrease of 144 (-7.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,724 to #15,111.
What does the Census say about the background of Innis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Innis, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.3%. The next largest groups are Black (21.1%) and Hispanic (5.4%). 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 Innis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 67.3% (1,261 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Innis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (67.3%), Black (21.1%), Hispanic (5.4%). 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 Innis (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 Innis mean?
Of Scottish and Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic word "inis," meaning "island" or "from the river island." 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 Innis (0.63 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 last name Innis?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Innis on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.