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

Inskeep, 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 Inskeep surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Inskeep in America

Inskeep is the 16370th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Inskeep surname appeared 1,759 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Inskeep.

We can also compare 2010 data for Inskeep 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 Inskeep

The surname Inskeep has its origins in England, where it first emerged in the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "inn" and "sceap," meaning "inn" and "shepherd" respectively. This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who worked as a shepherd at an inn or tavern.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1191, which mention a "William Inskepe." This indicates that variations of the spelling, such as "Inskepe" and "Inskeep," were already in use by the late 12th century.

The name appears to have originated in the county of Gloucestershire, where it was particularly prevalent in the Middle Ages. Several references to individuals bearing the name can be found in medieval records from the region, such as the Gloucestershire Subsidy Rolls of 1327 and the Gloucestershire Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1380.

One notable figure with the surname Inskeep was Robert Inskeep, who lived in the late 16th century and served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Westbury in Wiltshire during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

In the 17th century, the Inskeep family appears to have expanded their presence beyond Gloucestershire. Records show that in 1649, a Thomas Inskeep was born in the village of Damerham in Hampshire.

Another individual of note was John Inskeep, who was born in 1686 in the town of Maidstone, Kent. He later became a prominent merchant and served as Mayor of Maidstone in 1745.

By the 18th century, some members of the Inskeep family had emigrated to North America. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in the American colonies was that of James Inskeep, who was born in 1722 in Chester County, Pennsylvania.

In the 19th century, the surname continued to be found across various regions of England, as well as in the United States and Canada. Notable individuals from this period include William Inskeep, born in 1808 in Leicestershire, England, and George Inskeep, born in 1835 in Ontario, Canada.

Throughout its history, the surname Inskeep has maintained its connection to its Old English roots, reflecting the occupational and geographical origins of those who bore the name in medieval times.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Inskeep

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

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

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

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