Show ContentsInlpenney History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Inlpenney

What does the name Inlpenney mean?

The name Inlpenney is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when the family lived in the region of Inkpen near Hungerford in Berkshire. Inlpenney is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Other local names are derived from the names of houses, manors, estates, regions, and entire counties.

Early Origins of the Inlpenney family

The surname Inlpenney was first found in West Berkshire at Inkpen, a village and civil parish that dates back to Saxon times when the village was named Ingepenne c. 935. 1 By the time of the Domesday Book of 1086, the village's name was Hingepene 2 and was literally derived from the Old English words "ing" (meaning hill or peak) and the Celtic or Old English word "penn" (meaning hill or enclosure.) 1

The manor of Pillaton in Cornwall which in Doomsday Survey is called Pileton, belonged to the Earl of Moreton at that time. This manor, about the reign of Edward I. was in the family of Inkpen. "It was afterwards the property of John Charles, Esq. of whose heiress this manor and that of Hardenfast were purchased by Thomas Moone, Esq. about 1620." 3

Early History of the Inlpenney family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Inlpenney research. Another 90 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1217 and 1301 are included under the topic Early Inlpenney History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Inlpenney Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Inlpenney are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Inlpenney include: Inkpen, Inkpin, Ingpen and others.

Early Notables of the Inlpenney family

More information is included under the topic Early Inlpenney Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Inlpenney family to Ireland

Some of the Inlpenney family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 42 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Inlpenney family

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Inlpenney or a variant listed above: John Inkpen, who settled in New England in 1756.



  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  2. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  3. Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print


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