Ingram
A surname of old English and Norse personal-name origin, likely meaning “descendant of Ingram” or “Ingelram.”
The #484 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 4,452 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is usually explained as coming from an old personal name, either the Old English Ingiram or the later medieval name Ingelram. The first element is often linked with the Germanic god-name Ing, while the second element in Ingelram is commonly taken from a Germanic word for “raven” or related forms found in continental personal names. In short, Ingram began as a name tied to an ancestor’s given name rather than to a place or occupation.
History
Medieval records show the surname early in Yorkshire and nearby areas, and the name appears in northern English documentation by the 14th century. Later sources also connect it with the Northumberland parish of Ingram, but the surname itself is better treated as coming from a personal name. The form became established in England and later spread more widely through Britain and the English-speaking world.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
A source cited by Bardsley places the surname in the Yorkshire district by the 14th century, showing how early it was established in northern records.
From the historical record
“INGRAM Ellota de IngJeCon, of Bcntham, near iDffktoo, 1379 rp. T. Yorks. p. aS^ Robertas dc Ins leton* of Bentham, near ngleton, 1379 '• ^^ The surname was to be ound in the district in the T7th century.”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (alternate scan)