INGLIS
Inglis is a surname of Scottish origin, derived from the Old English word Englisc, which means “English”. The original use of the name denoted an individual who was English or had close connections with England, and over time it became associated with Scottish families of English descent or origin. Less than a millennium after its first recorded use, the surname appears in the 1273 Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, where it is borne by Walter Ingeleys.
The earliest documentary evidence for the name is found in the early 13th century. In the Pipe Rolls for Wiltshire (1200) it appears as Engeleisia, while in the Assize Court Rolls for Lincolnshire (1202) it is recorded as Ingeleis. By the mid‑13th century the name had been adopted as a surname, and subsequent variations such as Ingull, Ingle, Inglish and Ingliss are recorded in later sources.
The surname is distinctively Scottish in the sense that it is a Gaelicised form of an English ethnonym. In the Scottish dialect, the adjective Inglis was used to describe a border dweller of English stock, as opposed to native Celtic peoples. The designation may have arisen in the border regions between England and Scotland, where individuals crossing the frontier were identified by their foreign origin. Historical reference to a Inglis packet appears in London Church Registers, for example, the marriage of Hester Ingall and Nicholas Wilkinson in 1620 at St Benet’s, Paul’s Wharf.
The name has been borne by several notable persons. A prominent example is Rear‑Admiral Charles Inglis (1731–1781), listed in the "Dictionary of National Biography" for his service at the Relief of Gibraltar in 1781. The surname continues to be noted in contemporary Scottish history and genealogical records, often appearing as part of the sept system of Clan MacFarlane. The association with Sebnicki in the tradition of Scottish clans is less well documented, but the name is still regarded as a Scottish surname by modern register authorities.
Inglis is a toponymic surname, with some variants derived from the Old Norse word eng, meaning meadow. In this interpretation, Inglir is an Anglicised form that refers to a person from a meadowland area. Other proposed derivations include the Old Norse term engas, linked to the Angles and the early English settlers who crossed the sea into Britain during the 5th and 6th centuries. The English version of the surname is commonly written as Inglis, and known variants include Ingliss, Engles, Inglisso, Engleis and Ingles.
Geographically, the surname remains most prevalent in Scotland, especially in regions adjoining the England‑Scottish border. It is found with measurable frequency in the UK, as well as in countries that historically received Scottish emigrants, such as Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States. Within the United States, the name is most common in the southern states of Arkansas, Kentucky and Tennessee, with additional communities in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. In Australia the surname appears most often in New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria, while in New Zealand the North Island contains the majority of bearers.
The orthographic history of the name is varied. Over the centuries families have adopted numerous spellings, including Ingliss, Inglase, Englis and Ingles. A number of surnames derived from the same root are recorded in genealogical studies, such as Ingram, Ingramson, Ingraham, Ingron, Ingrum, Engler, Angley and Angola. These links suggest a shared linguistic ancestry that can still be traced in contemporary Scottish communities.
Typical given names associated with the Inglis surname
Male
- Alan
- Andrew
- David
- George
- Ian
- James
- John
- Michael
- Robert
- Thomas
- William
Female
- Alison
- Catherine
- Elizabeth
- Helen
- Janet
- Jean
- Karen
- Linda
- Margaret
- Mary
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Inglis in...
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There are approximately 7,934 people named Inglis in the UK. That makes it roughly the 1,185th most common surname in Britain. Around 122 in a million people in Britain are named Inglis.
Surname type: Location or geographical feature
Origin: Celtic
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: Scotland
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: Gaelic
Famous people named Inglis
- Elizabeth Inglis - Actress (1913 to 2007)
- Charles Inglis - Civil engineer (1875 to 1952)
- Brian Inglis - Irish journalist (1916 to 1993)
- John Inglis - Scottish football player, born 1966
- Anthony Inglis - Conductor
- Stephanie Inglis - Scottish judoka
- Charles M. Inglis - Naturalist (1870 to 1954)
- Kenny Inglis - Musician
- John Gilchrist Inglis - Royal Navy officer (1906 to 1972)
- John Inglis - Cricketer for Yorkshire
- Josh Inglis - Australian cricketer
- Sir Robert Inglis, 2nd Baronet - Politician (1786 to 1855)
- George Henry Inglis - (1902 to 1979)
- Bill Inglis - Football player (1899 to 1977)
- Danny Inglis - Darts player
- James Charles Inglis - Civil engineer (1851 to 1911)
- John Inglis - Scottish missionary to the New Hebrides (1808 to 1891)
- Cliff Inglis - Darts player (1935 to 2001)
- Jimmy Inglis - Football player
- Jim Inglis - Scottish rugby union player (1928 to 2015)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.