Surname Inglis - Meaning and Origin
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Inglis: What does the surname Inglis mean?
The last name Inglis is a toponymic surname, meaning it is derived from a place name. It is an Anglicized form of the Old Norse name Englir, which comes from the word "eng" meaning meadow. The name is most commonly found in Scotland, where it originated.
Historically, the name was bestowed upon someone from Scotland who had crossed the English-Scottish border; it was intended as a nickname for a foreigner from England.
Inglis is the Scottish Gaelic form of the English name English. It may also be derived from the word 'ingas', a form of 'Engas' which was the Old Norse term for the Angles and English, whose tribal ancestors crossed the sea into Britain from the continent in the 5th and 6th centuries.
The English version of the surname is Inglis. There have been variations of the name over time, including Ingliss, Engles, Inglisso, Engleis and Ingles.
Inglis is a fairly common Scottish surname, and is most likely to be found in the areas in and around the present-day border between England and Scotland. People with the surname may also be found in Australia and New Zealand, as this was the homeland of Scottish immigrants to those countries.
Order DNA origin analysisInglis: Where does the name Inglis come from?
The last name Inglis is of primarily Scottish descent originating from the place name Inverleith in Edinburgh, Scotland. It first appears in Scottish historical records as early as the 12th century, and is also found as a sept of the Clan MacFarlane.
Today, the last name Inglis continues to be most commonly associated with Scotland, but can also be found in other parts of the U.K., particularly in England, Northern Ireland, and Wales. Additionally, emigrants from Scotland have taken the name to other parts of the world, including Canada and the United States.
In the United States, the last name Inglis is most commonly found in the southern states of Arkansas, Kentucky, and Tennessee. However, it's also found in other parts of the United States, including several states in the North and Midwest such as Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
Australia and New Zealand also have a large population of people with the surname Inglis. In Australia, the last name Inglis is most prevalent in the states of New South Wales, South Australia, and Victoria. In New Zealand, it is most commonly found in the North Island.
So, while the last name Inglis originated in Scotland, it is now relatively widely dispersed across the U.K., the United States, Australia, and New Zealand.
Variations of the surname Inglis
The surname Inglis has several variants, spellings, and related surnames, derived originally from the Scottish county of the same name. The surname Inglis itself is derived from the Gaelic inghean ua ghlis meaning "son of the stranger".
Variant spellings of the surname include Ingliss, Inglis, Inglase, Englis, Ingles, Inglish, Engles, Angles, and Angus. Similarly, surnames that are related to the same root include Ingram, Ingramson, Ingraham, Ingron, Ingrum, Engler, Angley, and Angola.
The Scottish Inglis clan are historically associated with the ancient Kingdom of Strathclyde in the southwestern part of Scotland. This clan dates back to the Middle Ages when it was a powerful independent Scottish clan, eventually becoming part of Scotland when the Kingdom of Scotland was unified in the early 16th century.
Throughout history, the spelling of the surname has varied from place to place, and some families have adopted the variant spellings mentioned above. The variant spellings and related surnames of Inglis demonstrate that beyond the spelling, there was a shared origin and history which can still be found in Scotland today.
Famous people with the name Inglis
- Emma Inglis: Australian Rules Football player (AFLW)
- Andria Inglis: Natural history illustrator
- Mark Inglis: Paralympic skier
- Rikki Inglis: Rugby Union player
- Sarah Inglis: Professional runner
- Brian Inglis: Irish journalist, author, and broadcaster
- Charles Inglis: Anglican clergyman and founder of King's College
- John Inglis: Co-founder of firearm company
- Shona Inglis: Producer and actress
- Charles Inglis: American economist and philanthropist
- Don Inglis: Canadian-born racing driver
- Elizabeth Inglis: Baroness of Balintoy and prima ballerina
- Harold Inglis: cricketer
- Lionel Inglis: England international rugby union player
- Ross Inglis: Former professional tennis player
- Carrie Inglis: British actress
- Brad Inglis: Australian football player
- Jack Inglis: Former Australian football player
- Alex Inglis: Canadian track and field athlete
- Elliott Inglis: Australian former rugby league footballer