Ink History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Ink

What does the name Ink mean?

The ancestors of the bearers of the Ink family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in an area that was referred to as the ing, which means the meadow by a river. 1 The name could also have been a baptismal name as in son of Inge. 2

"Ing is an ancient clerical name in [Buckinghamshire]. Roger Inge was rector of Maid's Moreton in 1291; and John Inge was vicar of Stanton - Barry in 1425." 3

Early Origins of the Ink family

The surname Ink was first found in Leicestershire where the first record of the family was found c. 1160 when the Latin form Inga was recorded. This entry may have been a forename but more likely a surname. As a forename, we continue with Inga filia Thoire in the Assize Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1202 and later Inga of the Hull in the Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire in 1332.

As a surname, John Ing was found in the Curia Regis Rolls for Gloucestershire in 1212 and later William Ingge was found in the Assize Rolls for Staffordshire in 1283. Reginald de Inga was recorded in the Pipe Rolls for Essex in 1162 and later, Ralph de Ging was found in Devon in 1245. 4

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had two listings for the family: John Inge, Oxfordshire; and William Inge, Huntingdonshire. 2 Robert Inge was rector of Salthouse, Norfolk in 1327. 5

Early History of the Ink family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ink research. Another 132 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1315, 1480, 1484, 1488, 1496, 1504, 1511, 1527, 1528, 1684, 1753 and 1807 are included under the topic Early Ink History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ink Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Ink include Inge, Ing and others.

Early Notables of the Ink family

Notables of the family at this time include Hugh Inge or Ynge, (1527-1528) Achbishop of Dublin and Lord Chancellor of Ireland, born at Shepton Mallet, Somersetshire. He became a scholar of Winchester College in 1480, and in 1484 became scholar, and in 1488 fellow, of New College, Oxford, where he graduated in arts and resided until 1496. He travelled in foreign parts, and received the degree of D.D. from a continental university, being incorporated in the same degree at Oxford on 3 April 1511. He...
Another 85 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ink Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Ink family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Ink or a variant listed above: Richard Inge settled in Jamaica in 1690; Richard Inge settled in Nevis in 1654.

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. Print