Given name & surname
Inga
“having the beauty of the god Ing”·“protected by the god Ing”
Inga is a variant of Ingrid. One Scandinavian interpretation is “having the beauty of the god Ing.” In Swedish use, Inga is a diminutive of Ingeborg. One Scandinavian interpretation is “protected by the god Ing.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Inga is a variant of Ingrid. One Scandinavian interpretation is “having the beauty of the god Ing.” In Swedish use, Inga is a diminutive of Ingeborg. One Scandinavian interpretation is “protected by the god Ing.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Old Norse.
How it developed
In Swedish usage, Inga is a diminutive of Ingrid. Inga is a short form of Ingrid.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Inga through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 4,127
- 0 boys · 4,127 girls
- Most popular year
- 1969
- 115 babies
- 2025
- 10
- #9,714 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −18%
- Easing
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 10 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 9,714 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 17.7% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 115 in 1969. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 4,193 as a first name in 2020; 1,077 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Inga’s family of names
In Swedish usage, Inga is a diminutive of Ingrid. In Latvian usage, Inga shares a linguistic root with INGARS. In German usage, Inga has a related form in Inge.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Inga has relatives in 11 languages. Lines run from its Old Norse roots to each of them.
15 related names in 11 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 7
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 6
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 7
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Inga
- Inga RuginienėLithuanian politician (LSDP) and Prime Ministerborn 1981
- Inga SwensonAmerican actress (1932–2023)
- Inga Ibsdotter LilleaasNorwegian actorborn 1989
- Inga AbitovaRussian long-distance runnerborn 1982
- Inga TidbladSwedish actress (1901–1975)
- Inga Gentzelathletics competitor (1908–1991)
- Inga Fischer-HjalmarsSwedish physicist, chemist, and humanist (1918-2008)
- Inga JankauskaitėLithuanian actor-singerborn 1981
- Inga LandgréSwedish actress (1927–2023)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
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