Inge is a given name in various Germanic language-speaking cultures. In Swedish and Norwegian, it is mostly used as a masculine, but less often also as a feminine name, sometimes as a short form of

Ingeborg Ingeborg is a Germanic feminine given name, mostly used in Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway, derived from Old Norse ''Ingiborg, Ingibjǫrg'', combining the theonym ''Ing'' with the element ''borg'' "stronghold, protection". Ingebjørg is the No ...

, while in Danish, Estonian, Frisian, German and Dutch it is exclusively feminine. The feminine name has the variant ''

Inga ''Inga'' is a genus of small tropical, tough-leaved, nitrogen-fixing treesElkan, Daniel. "Slash-and-burn farming has become a major threat to the world's rainforest" ''The Guardian'' 21 April 2004 and shrubs, subfamily Mimosoideae. ''Inga''s l ...

''. The name is in origin a

hypocorism A hypocorism ( or ; from Ancient Greek ; sometimes also ''hypocoristic''), or pet name, is a name used to show affection for a person. It may be a diminutive form of a person's name, such as ''Izzy'' for Isabel or ''Bob (given name), Bob'' fo ...

of names beginning in the element ''Ing-'' (such as Ingar, Inger,

Ingrid Ingrid may refer to: * Ingrid (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Ingrid Burley (born 1986), rapper known mononymously as Ingrid * Ingrid (record label), also an artist collective * Tropical Storm Ingrid, various cy ...

, Ingram, Ingvild, Ingunn etc.). These

Germanic name Germanic given names are traditionally dithematic; that is, they are formed from two elements ( stems), by joining a prefix and a suffix. For example, King Æþelred's name was derived from ', meaning "noble", and ', meaning "counsel". The i ...

s made reference to either the god

Ing Ing, ING or ing may refer to: Art and media * '' ...ing'', a 2003 Korean film * i.n.g, a Taiwanese girl group * The Ing, a race of dark creatures in the 2004 video game '' Metroid Prime 2: Echoes'' * "Ing", the first song on The Roches' 199 ...

or to the tribe of the

Ingvaeones The Ingaevones () or Ingvaeones () were a Germanic cultural group living in the Northern Germania along the North Sea coast in the areas of Jutland, Holstein, and Lower Saxony in classical antiquity. Tribes in this area included the Angles, ...

(who were presumably in turn named for the god). Inge is also encountered as a surname in the

English-speaking world The English-speaking world comprises the 88 countries and territories in which English language, English is an official, administrative, or cultural language. In the early 2000s, between one and two billion people spoke English, making it the ...

; the surname is usually pronounced in England to rhyme with "ring"; alternatively (especially in the United States) some families pronounce it to rhyme with "hinge."

People called Inge

Masculine given name

Scandinavian royalty

Inge the Elder Inge the Elder ( Swedish: ''Inge Stenkilsson''; Old Norse: ''Ingi Steinkelsson''; died c. 1105–1110) was a king of Sweden. In English literature he has also been called ''Ingold''. While scant sources do not allow a full picture of his term of ...

(died c. 1110) *

Inge the Younger Inge the Younger was King of Sweden in c. 1110–c. 1125 and probably the youngest son of king Halsten.The article ''Inge d.y.'' in ''Nationalencyklopedin'' (1992).The article Inge, section 2. I. den yngre' in ''Nordisk familjebok'' (1910). Acco ...

, king of Sweden c. 1110–1125 *

Inge I of Norway Inge Haraldsson (; 1135 – 3 February 1161) was king of Norway (being Inge I) from 1136 to 1161. Inge’s reign fell within the start of the period known in Norwegian history as the civil war era, and he was never the sole ruler of the country. ...

(died 1161) *

Inge Magnusson Inge Magnusson or Inge Baglar-king was from 1196 to 1202 the Bagler candidate for pretender to the Norwegian throne during the Civil war era in Norway. In 1197, a serious challenge to the reign of King Sverre of Norway arose. Several prominent op ...

(died 1202), pretender to the Norwegian throne *

Inge II of Norway Inge is a given name in various Germanic language-speaking cultures. In Swedish and Norwegian, it is mostly used as a masculine, but less often also as a feminine name, sometimes as a short form of Ingeborg, while in Danish, Estonian, Frisian, G ...

(died 1217)

Modern

Inge Bell Inge Bell (born 28 August 1967) is a German human rights activist, business consultant and entrepreneur. Until June 2023, she was the second chairwoman of the women's rights organisation Terre des Femmes and, until July 2022, the Bavarian represe ...

, (born 1967), German journalist, human rights activist, business consultant and entrepreneur. *

Inge Danielsson Karl Gustaf Inge Danielsson (14 June 1941 – 30 June 2021) was a Swedish footballer who played as a forward. He played for Ifö/Bromölla IF, Helsingborgs IF, AFC Ajax and IFK Norrköping. Danielsson also won 17 caps for the Sweden nati ...

(1941–2021), Swedish footballer *

Inge Edler Inge Gudmar Edler (17 March 1911 – 6 March 2001) was a Swedish cardiologist, who in collaboration with Carl Hellmuth Hertz developed medical ultrasonography and echocardiography Echocardiography, also known as cardiac ultrasound, is the u ...

(1911–2001), Swedish cardiologist *

Inge Ejderstedt Inge Åke Emanuel Ejderstedt (born 24 December 1946) is a Swedish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Ejderstedt began his career in Östers IF and became Swedish champion in 1968. 1970-1974 he played for RSC Anderlecht ...

(born 1946), Swedish footballer *

Inge Hammarström Hans Inge Hammarström (born 20 January 1948) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey left winger. He played six seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Toronto Maple Leafs and St. Louis Blues between 1973 and 1979. The rest of ...

(born 1948), Swedish ice hockey player *

Inge Hansen Inge Ketil Hansen (born 21 April 1946) is a retired Norwegian handball player who competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics. He was born in Asker and represented the club Fredensborg/Ski HK. In 1972 he was part of the Norwegian team which finished ...

(born 1946), Norwegian handball player *

Inge Krokann Inge Krokann (19 August 1893–27 September 1962) was a Norwegian writer. His most famous work is '' I Dovre Sno '' (1929), an epic story of the Loe family during the Middle Ages. Because his writing was full of local expressions and is so st ...

(1893–1962), Norwegian writer *

Inge Lønning Inge Johan Lønning (20 February 1938 – 24 March 2013) was a Norwegian Lutheran theologian and politician for the Conservative Party of Norway. As an academic, he was Professor of Theology and Rector of the University of Oslo during the te ...

(1938–2013), Norwegian theologian and politician *

Inge Nissen Inge Nissen is a Danish basketball player and coach. A 2012 inductee to the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, Nissen was a star for the Danish national team and a college All-American at Old Dominion University. After her playing career, Nissen ...

Danish former basketball player and coach * Inge Steensland (1923–2010), Norwegian resistance member * Inge Thulin (born 1953), Swedish chief executive * Inge Thun (1945–2008), Norwegian football goalkeeper *

Kjell Inge Røkke Kjell Inge Røkke (born October 25, 1958) is a Norwegian billionaire businessman. He is the chairman of the Norwegian-based company Aker ASA, and holds directorships in Aker BP, Kværner, Ocean Yield, Aker BioMarine and Aker Energy. As of De ...

(born 1958), Norwegian businessman * Stig Inge Bjørnebye (born 1969), Norwegian footballer

Feminine given name

* Inge Bauer (born 1940), East German pentathlete *

Inge Bödding Inge Bödding, née Eckhoff (born 29 March 1947) is a retired German athlete who competed mainly in the 400 metres and competed at the 1972 Summer Olympics. Biography Eckhoff finished third behind Marilyn Neufville in the 400 metres event a ...

(born 1947), West German middle distance runner *

Inge Borkh Inge Borkh (born Ingeborg Simon, 26 May 1921 – 26 August 2018) was a German operatic dramatic soprano. She was first based in Switzerland, where she received international attention when she appeared in the first performance in German of Menott ...

(1921–2018), German soprano *

Inge Brück Inge Brück (born 12 October 1936) is a German singer and actress, best known internationally for her participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 1967. Brück began her singing career with the Erwin Lehn Dance Orchestra, where she was noticed ...

(born 1936), German singer and actress *

Inge de Bruijn Inge de Bruijn (; born 24 August 1973) is a Dutch former competitive swimmer. She is a four-time Olympic champion and a former world record-holder in multiple swimming events. Personal De Bruijn was born in Barendrecht, Netherlands. Inge is ...

(born 1973), Dutch swimmer *

Inge Dekker Inge Dekker (born 18 August 1985) is a Dutch former competitive swimmer who specialised in butterfly and freestyle events. She won the bronze medal with the Dutch women's 4×100-metre freestyle relay team at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, ...

(born 1985), Dutch swimmer * Inge Deutschkron (1922–2022), German-Israeli journalist and author * Inge Eriksen (1935–2015), Danish writer and political activist * Inge Faes (born 1973), Belgian politician * Inge Feltrinelli (1930–2018), German-born Italian photographer and director * Inge Garstedt (born 1947), Swedish politician *

Inge Genefke Inge Genefke (born 1938) is a Danish campaigner and worker on behalf of torture victims. She received the Right Livelihood Award in 1988 "for helping those whose lives have been shattered by torture to regain their health and personality." Work Bo ...

(born 1938), Danish torture victim activist * Inge Görmer (born 1934), East German speed skater * Inge Gräßle (born 1961), German politician and MEP * Inge Hecht (1947–2019), German politician * Inge Helten (born 1950), West German sprinter * Inge Heybroek (1915–1956), Dutch field hockey player * Inge Hornstra (born 1974), Dutch-born Australian television and stage actress * Inge Höger (born 1950), German politician *

Inge Janssen Inge Janssen (born 20 April 1989) is a Dutch rower. A world champion in the women's four, she was part of the Dutch quadruple sculls that won silver at the 2016 Olympics and competed in the double sculls at the 2012 Summer Olympics. She is a 20 ...

(born 1989). Dutch rower *

Inge Keller Inge Keller (15 December 1923 – 6 February 2017) was a German stage and film actress whose career on stage and screen spanned seventy years. She was one of the most prominent performers in the former German Democratic Republic. Thomas Langhoff ...

(1923–2017), German actress *

Inge Kilian Inge Offermann (née Kilian, born 3 June 1935) is a retired German high jumper, who competed in the 1956 Summer Olympics. Born in Geisenheim, Kilian moved to Braunschweig as a child, where she took up athletics at the age of 12. She competed for ...

(born 1935), German high jumper *

Inge King Ingeborg Viktoria "Inge" King (; 26 November 1915 – 23 April 2016) was a German-born Australian sculptor. She received many significant public commissions. Her work is held in public and private collections. Her best known work is ''Forward S ...

(1915–2016), German-born Australian sculptor * Inge Koch (figure skater) (born 1910s), German figure skater * Inge Lange (1927–2013), East German politician *

Inge Lehmann Inge Lehmann (13 May 1888 – 21 February 1993) was a Danish seismologist and geophysicist who is known for her discovery in 1936 of the solid inner core that exists within the molten outer core of the Earth. The seismic discontinuity in the sp ...

(1888–1993), Danish seismologist * Inge Meysel (1910–2004), German actress *

Inge Morath Ingeborg Hermine "Inge" Morath (; 27 May 1923 – 30 January 2002) was an Austrian photographer. In 1953, she joined the Magnum Photos Agency, founded by top photographers in Paris, and became a full photographer with the agency in 1955. Morat ...

(1923–2002), Austrian-born American photographer * Inge Müller (1925–1966), East German author * Inge Sargent (1932–2023), last

Mahadevi Mahadevi (, , IPA: / mɐɦɑd̪eʋiː/), also referred to as Adi Parashakti, and Mahamaya, is the supreme goddess in Hinduism. According to the goddess-centric sect Shaktism, all Hindu gods and goddesses are considered to be manifestations of t ...

Hsipaw Hsipaw (; Tai Nuea: ᥔᥤᥴ ᥙᥨᥝᥳ), also known as Thibaw (), is the principal town of Hsipaw Township in Shan State, Myanmar on the banks of the Duthawadi River. It is north-east of Mandalay. Hsipaw contains 11 wards, including Sout ...

* Inge Scholl (1917–1998), German resistance member * Inge Sørensen (1924–2011), Danish swimmer * Inge Stoll (1930–1958), German motorcycle racer * Inge Vermeulen (1985–2015), Brazilian-born Dutch field hockey player *

Inge Vervotte Inge Vervotte (born 27 December 1977) is a Belgian politician for the Christian Democratic and Flemish party (CD&V). She was Belgian federal minister for Civil Service and Public Enterprises in the Leterme I Government, which was in office in ...

(born 1977), Belgian government minister * Inge Viermetz (1908–1997), German Nazi official * Inge von Wangenheim (1912–1993), German actress, writer and communist *

Inge Wersin-Lantschner Inge Wersin-Lantschner, née ''Inge Lantschner'' (26 January 1905 in Innsbruck – 16 June 1997 in Innsbruck) was an Austrian alpine skier and world champion. Wersin-Lantschner received three gold medals at the 1933 World Championships ...

(1905–1997), Austrian alpine skier

Surname

* Peter Inge, Baron Inge (1935–2022), British soldier; Baron Inge, KG, GCB, PC, DL, former chief of the UK Defence Staff *

Brandon Inge Charles Brandon Inge ( ; born May 19, 1977) is an American former professional baseball third baseman and catcher and currently a volunteer assistant coach for the Michigan Wolverines baseball team. He played 12 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, ...

(born 1977), American athlete (

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...

third baseman (1998–2012)Detroit Free Press, page B1, Friday April 27, 2012 * M. Thomas Inge (1936–2021), American author * Samuel Williams Inge (1817–1868), U.S. Congressman * William Inge (disambiguation), several people known by that name, including the 20th-century American playwright

References

{{given name, type=both Scandinavian masculine given names Dutch feminine given names Estonian feminine given names Feminine given names German feminine given names Norwegian masculine given names Masculine given names Swedish masculine given names Hypocorisms