Ingram

Recorded as Ingram, Ingeram, Ingelham and the very rare dialectal Ingyon, this is in every respect a true English surname of pre medieval origins. Recorded in most parts of England but particularly associated with the county of Yorkshire, it has its origins in the Anglo-Saxon personal name Engel. This was a tribal name meaning The Angles, the people of Englanda, in Northern Germany, who invaded Eastern and Northern Britain in the 5th Century a.d. and subsequently gave their name to England. To this was added the suffix 'hrafn', meaning raven, a bird renowned for its ferocity and wisdom to give a literal meaning of English-raven. There is also the possibility that the suffix may be a development of 'ramm', which does literally mean 'The ram', an animal renowned for its fecundity! Early recordings of the surname include John Ingeram also recorded as John Ingelram, of Whitby in Yorkshire in 1138, and Richard Ingram of Calverly, Yorkshire in 1250. An extraordinary dialectal recording is that of Jane Ingyon. She married John Harris at Potton in Bedfordshire on July 12th 1782, whilst on October 15th 1806 Sarah Ingon married Daniel Abbot at Blunham in the same county. Edward Ingram was one of the earliest settlers in America, being listed as resident in Virginea, New England, in 1635. The coat of arms most associated with the name being an ermine shield charged with three gold escallops on a red fesse. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John Engelram. This was dated 1132, in the charters of the Abbey of Rievaulx, Yorkshire, during the reign of King Henry 1st, known as "The Lion of Justice", 1100 - 1135.