Inge is a common given (personal) name in most Germanic language-speaking cultures, but primarily a surname (family name) in English-speaking ones.
In most of Scandinavia the name is primarily given to boys, while in Denmark and in Dutch- and German-speaking countries it is given to girls. It is derived from Ing, an alternative name for the norse god Freyr.
In the legendary prehistory of the Germanic peoples Ing was one of the three sons of Mannus and the ancestor of the Ingaevones. Since the Ingaevones form the bulk of the Anglo-Saxon settlement in Britain, they were speculated by Noah Webster to have given England its name.
As a given name its pronunciation typically consists of two syllables with the stress falling on the initial one, while as a surname it is usually pronounced in England to rhyme with "ring." Alternatively (especially in the USA) some families pronounce it to rhyme with "hinge."
Some related names are Inga, Ingar, Yngve, Inger, Ingrid, Ingeborg, Ingram, Ingvild and Ingunn.
A number of famous people are named Inge:
- Scandinavian royalty
- Inge I of Norway (d. 1161)
- Inge II of Norway (d. 1217)
- Inge I of Sweden (d. ca. 1100)
- Inge II of Sweden (12th century)
- Modern
- Inge Lehmann (d. 1993), Danish seismologist
- Inge Krokann (d. 1962), Norwegian writer
- Kjell Inge Røkke (b. 1958), Norwegian businessman
- Stig Inge Bjørnebye (b. 1969), Norwegian soccer player
- as a surname
- Field Marshal Peter Anthony Inge (b. 1935), British soldier; Baron Inge, KG, GCB, PC, DL, former Chief of the UK Defence Staff
- Brandon Inge (b.1977), American athlete (baseball), Detroit Tigers Third Baseman (1998-2012)
- M. Thomas Inge (b. 20th c.), American author
- The William Inge (disambiguation) page distinguishes several people known by that name, including the 20th. c. American playwright