Name of the Week

Ingram feels like a surname adopted as a first name,
but its history as a first name is actually both long and illustrious.

 

Origin:

Ingram derives from the old Germanic name Ingelram/Engelram, which is of uncertain meaning. The second element is most certainly the Germanic hraben (later hramn), meaning "raven" — found in the names Bertram, Wolfram, Guntram and Rambert.  The first element is disputed. Some propose it comes from the Old Germanic word angul, engil which can refer either to "a hook'", "an angel" (a borrowing from the Latin angelus), or "Angle" — from the Germanic tribe that later became the Anglo-Saxons, and the route of the name England. The Angles came from Angeln in northern Germany; so named, it is thought, because the area was shaped like a hook. The names Engelbert, Engelbald/Ingilbald and Engelhard are thought to come from this meaning.  The first element could also be derived from the name Ingil, a diminutive of Ing (or Ingvi). Ing was the name of an ancient fertility God who featured in both Norse and Germanic theology and was the legendary ancester of the Germanic Ingvaeones tribe. It is generally thought that Ing was the older name for the Norse god Freyr, which itself is simply a title meaning "lord". This name element is found in many many Norse and Germanic names, such as Ingeborg, Ingemar, Ingrid, Ingvar, Ingwald, Ingenulf/Engenulf, Ingemund and Ingebiorn, though whether it is a direct connection to the god's name or referring to the Ingvaeones is uncertain.  If Ingelram does mean "Ing's raven," then it is supported by the Germanic names Ingebiorn (Norse: Ingibjǫrn) "Ing's bear," and Ingenulf/Engenulf (Norse: Ingolfr) "Ing's wolf" — all combining Ing with popular animal name elements. The 'angel' interpretation has existed for centuries, though it is likely to be an attempt to assimilate an old Pagan name with Christian ideals after the time when Northern Europe was Christianised. It is further possible that both "Ingil-hraban" and "Angil-hraban" were in use as separate names, and eventually became merged together.

Usage:

Ingelram and Engelram are found in early medieval records across Northern Europe. One of the earliest examples is Ingilram, bishop of Metz in 768–791. Although the name was established more widely in Britain by the arrival of Normans, there is no reason to suppose that a cognate form of the name was not used previously by the Anglo-Saxons in England (who shared many related names with their continental brethren). There is a tantalising mention in a charter from 963 AD of seven hides in Vange, Essex being granted by King Edgar to 'his faithful minister' Ingeram; though other examples are hard to find. Engelram became Enguerrand or Engerran in Old French and can be found used widely among French aristocracy, most notably the counts of Ponthieu and the Lords of Coucy. The Norman nobles reforced the name when they brought it with them to Britain, and quickly it established itself among the English and Scottish elite. There are several examples of the name in 1086 in the Domesday Book, showing a distinct Norman influence. From this time, Ingelram produced the surnames Ingram, Ingrams, Ingrem, Ingraham and Ingry.  Bernard de Baliol, a Norman who owned granted land by William Rufus in the North of England, had both a brother and a son named Enguerrand, and the name passed down the family. One Ingram Baliol (d. 1234) was a staunch supporter of King Alexander II of Scotland and was made Lord of Inverkeilor. Enguerrand/Ingelram was particularly popular among the influential de Coucy family (there were seven Lord of Courcys from the 12th to 14th century with the name), one of whom was father-in-law of King Alexander II of Scotland, and another married the daughter of King Edward III of England. The Paradox of Medieval Scotland (1093-1286) Database has catalogued records for a whole host of medieval Scottish lords named Ingram (Engelram, Enguerrand) which testifies how well used it was. Ingram continued to be used well into the 16th and 17th century, particularly in Kent and Yorkshire, though it was never especially common at this time. From the 18th century onwards, use of the name was bolstered by the surname Ingram, being used as a 'family-surname-as-firstname'.  The 1841 UK census lists 118 Ingrams (94% in England, 6% in Scotland) and this figure remained fairly consistent over the century: 103 in 1861, 107 in 1881, 132 in 1901 and 114 in 1911.  The name saw a steep decline after the 1920s. It was registered 12 times in England and Wales throughout the 1930s, 12 times in the 1940s, 7 times in the 1950s and 1960s respectively, 6 times in the 1970s, 4 times in the 1980s, and 1990s. Since 1996, the name Ingram has not featured on the data for England and Wales because it has not been given to more than 3 babies in any given year.

Famous Bearers:

History:  * Ingerman of Hesbaye (fl. 8th c.), Duke of Hesbaye and father-in-law of King Louis the Pious. * Ingilram (fl. 768–791), bishop of Metz.  * Enguerrand I of Ponthieu (d. 1045), Count of Ponthieu. * Enguerrand II of Ponthieu (d. 1053), brother-in-law of William the Conqueror. * Enguerrand de Coucy (d. 1116), Lord of Coucy. * Imgram (d. 1174), Bishop of Glasgow. * Ingram Baliol (d. c. 1234), supporter of King Alexander II of Scotland. * Enguerrand de Coucy (d. 1242), father-in-law of King Alexander II of Scotland. * Enguerrand de Marigny (d.1315), Chamberlain of King Philip IV of France. * Ingram de Umfraville (d.c. 1321), Guardian of Scotland during the Wars of Scottish Independence. * Ingelram de Coucy (d. 1397), son-in-law of King Edward III of England. * Ingram de Ketenis (d. 1407), Scottish cleric. * Enguerrand de Monstrelet (d. 1453), a French chronicler. * Ingram Lindsay (d. 1458), Bishop of Aberdeen. * Ingram Bywater (1840–1914), English classical scholar. * Ingram Crockett (1856–1936), American poet and journalist.  Contemporary: * Ingram Marshall (b. 1942), American composer. Other: * Ingram, a village in Northumberland. * 6285 Ingram, an asteroid. * Ingram Island, part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

Variants:

Engelram, Ingelram (Medieval), Enguerran(d), Engerran (Old French)

Pronunciation:

IN-grəm [key]

Possible diminutives:

Gram, Ram, Ran

Sibling Names:

Camille     Sybil     Ellen     Adelaide     Tilda     Gretchen  Hugo     Brando     Jarvis     Hendrik     Lance     Edmund

Name Lists:

Bird Names

 

If you like Ingram you may also like:   Angus, Galen, Irving, Wolfram, Sterling, Magnus, Peregrine, Edwin, Baldwin, Franco

 

Thanks to Nat for requesting Ingram/Engelram.