From a common Norman personal name, Ingram,
of Germanic origin, composed of the elements Ing
(the name of a Germanic god) + hraban ‘raven’.
c) Ingram: Other versions of the name includeIngelram, Ingeram, Ingraham, Ingrome, Ingrum. d) Ingram: In Scotland, Ingram is a sept of the Clan Colquhoun:-
In the 13th century the lands of Colquhoun
in Dunbartonshire were granted to Humphry de Kilpatrick. His son,
Ingelram de Colquhoun, was the first person recorded as taking
Colquhoun as a surname.
Early Ingrams:
The surname INGRAM derives from the old personal name
Ingelram. Early records mention Hyngelrom ( without surname ) who witnessed a
charter by King David I to the Abbey of Neubottle in 1142.
John Ingeram held lands of the Abbott of Arbroath in 1330.
Sir William Ingelram was the chaplain of Stirling,
Scotland in 1476.
Herbert Ingram ( 1811-60 ) the English journalist was born
in Boston, Lincolnshire. In 1842 he founded the '' Illustrated London
News ''. He was MP for Boston from 1856.
Collingwood Ingram, known as Cherry Ingram ( 1880-1981 )
the English ornithologist, botanist, gardener and traveller was the grandson of
the newspaper proprietor, Herbert Ingram. He had a garden at Bettenden, Kent
that was celebrated for his collection of Japanese ornamental cherries. His
books include '' The Birds of the Riviera '' ( 1926 ) and '' A
Garden of Memories ' ( 1970 ).
The Introduction of
Surnames:
Following the crusades in the 11th, 12th and 13th
centuries, a need was felt for a family name to replace the name given at birth
or as an addition to it. This was recognized by those of noble
birth, particularly those who went on the Crusades, as it added prestige and
practical advantage to their status.
The rise of surnames, according to accepted theory, was
due to the Norman Conquest of 1066 when Old English personal-names were rapidly
superceded by the new christian names introduced by the Normans. A few of these
were popular and in the 12th century the shortage of different christian names
led to an increasing use of surnames to distinguish individuals with the same
name. Some Normans had hereditary surnames before coming to England however
surnames would probably have developed in England without the Norman Conquest as
the development of the feudal system made it essential for the king to know
exactly what service each person owed. Payments to and by the exchequer required
that debtors and creditors should be distinguishable and it became a
requirement that individuals had an exact identification.
The associated arms for family names are recorded in Sir
Bernard Burkes General Armory. Ulster King of Arms in 1884.
Frequency
of Ingram surname per Million of Population:
