Ingalls
A surname most likely developed as a patronymic form of Ingall or Ingel, ultimately from an old Germanic personal name beginning with Ing-.
The #5,394 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 47,845 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Ingalls is generally understood as an English surname built from a personal name such as Ingall or Ingel, with the final -s marking descent or association. The first element Ing- goes back to an old Germanic name-stem, often linked with the god Ing or Yngvi in early Germanic tradition. In that sense, the surname likely began as "son or descendant of Ingall" rather than as a place-name or occupation.
History
The name appears in English records in several spellings, including Ing, Ingall, Ingalls, and related forms such as Ingersoll and Ingham in older surname lists. In modern times it is best known in the United States, where it has remained relatively uncommon but stable. The surname was also carried by Laura Ingalls Wilder, whose books helped make the name widely familiar.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Laura Ingalls Wilder made this surname famous through the Little House books, even though the name itself is much older than the American frontier setting.
From the historical record
“Infant, 171. Ing, 38. Ingalls, 437. Ingell, 437. Ingepen, 420. Ingersall, 414. Ingersoll, 22, 414. Ingham, 460.”
— Suffolk Surnames (3rd ed.)