Ingham

Ingham is a surname of English origin, derived from a place name. The town name comes from the Old English personal name Inga, which is related to the Germanic god Ing, combined with hām, meaning "homestead". Thus, Ingham signifies "Inga's homestead". Some scholars suggest the first element could alternatively be from the Ingaevones, a Germanic tribe.

Etymology

The surname Ingham is toponymic in nature, meaning it originates from a place where the original bearers lived. The Old English elements—the personal name Inga and hām—reflect the Anglo-Saxon naming tradition of combining a person's name with a topographical term to denote settlement. Inga is itself a feminine form of Inge, which refers to the Norse god Ing. Ing is a Germanic fertility deity, an early incarnation of the god Freyr, associated with prosperity and lineage.

Geography

The surname is tied to multiple villages and civil parishes in England: in Lincolnshire (West Lindsey district), Norfolk (North Norfolk district), and Suffolk (West Suffolk district). There is also a ghost town bearing the name. The distribution of the surname Ingham today is primarily found in English-speaking countries, especially the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States.

Notable Bearers

Notable individuals with the surname include Sir Ingham, a fictional character in William Shakespeare's King Henry IV, Part 1; Isham Ingham (1784–1860), an American newspaper editor sheriff in New York; and Lily Ingham (1937–2016), an English illustrator and author. The name is also found in historical records as an adopted Mary Ingham, commoner’s family, who claimed descent.

• Meaning: Inga's homestead
• Origin: English (toponymic)
• Type: Surname
• Usage Regions: Primarily English-speaking countries