Recorded in an amazing range of spellings including the popular Innes and the Irish Ennis, as well as Inns, Innis, Inyis, Innes, Eneas, Enns, Ennes, Eynes and no doubt others, this famous surname is Gaelic in origin. It has two possible sources. Firstly it may be locational from the barony of Innes in the former county of Moray, so called from the word "inis" meaning an island, or a piece of land between two rivers. Secondly, it may be both Scottish and Irish from the pre 7th century Gaelic personal name Aonghus, the modern personal name and surname Angus, composed of the elements "aon" meaning one, and "ghus", a choice. It was borne by Aonghus, an 8th century king of Scotland, who was said to be the son of Daghda, the chief god of the Irish, and his wife Boann, who gave her name to the river Boyne. This king gave his name to the Scottish county of Angus, and many Scots have received it as a personal name in his honour. The surname dates back to the early 13th Century, (see below), whilst early examples of recordings taken from surviving church registers include: the marriage of John Innys to Elsabethe Turner on the May 7th 1560 at St. Margaret's Westminster, the christening of James Innes, on the 18th July 1609 at Elgin in Scotland, and Elizabeth Eneas, who married Evan Bowen at St Mary-le-Bone, in the city of London, on August 24th 1734. A coat of arms granted to the Innes family has the blazon of a silver shield, charged with a cross pattee, between three blue stars. The motto is "Ditat servata fides" which translates as " Duty and fidelity enriches". The first recorded spelling of the family name is said to be that of Walter de Ineys. This was dated 1226, when he witnessed a charter during the reign of King Alexander 11 of Scotland, 1214 - 1249. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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