Upshur
From an English surname, meaning "upper courtyard" or "upper enclosed land".
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Upshur. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Upshur today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Upshur births was 1924 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Upshur. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Upshur. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1924
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1924 SSA rank
#4,915
Tracked since 1924
Popularity
Upshur: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Upshur by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Upshur during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Upshur
The given name Upshur has its origins in the English language, specifically deriving from the historical county of Upshure, located in the state of West Virginia, United States. The name can be traced back to the late 18th century, when this region was first settled by European colonists.
It is believed that the name Upshur itself is a combination of two Old English words, "upp" meaning "up" or "high," and "scyre" meaning "shire" or "county." This linguistic blend likely emerged as a way to identify individuals from the elevated, hilly terrain of the Upshure county area.
While the name does not appear to have any direct references in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it holds significance in the history of the United States. One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Upshur was for Abel Parker Upshur, an American lawyer, judge, and politician who served as the 12th United States Secretary of State under President John Tyler from 1843 until his untimely death in 1844.
Another notable figure with the given name Upshur was Nellie Upshur, an American actress and singer who was active in the early 20th century, particularly known for her performances in vaudeville and musical theater productions between 1905 and 1925.
In the literary world, Upshur Moorhead was an American writer and editor, best known for his work with the Southern Review literary magazine in the mid-20th century. He was born in 1919 and passed away in 1992.
Moving to the field of sports, Upshur "Ted" Simmons was a professional baseball player who played as a catcher in Major League Baseball from 1968 to 1988, primarily for the St. Louis Cardinals. He was born in 1949 and is currently retired.
Lastly, Upshur County, located in Texas, was named after Abner Upshur, another prominent figure in American history who served as the 14th United States Secretary of State from 1843 to 1844, during the presidency of John Tyler.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have carried the given name Upshur, showcasing its unique origins and its enduring presence in various aspects of American culture and society.
People
Upshur + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Upshur as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with U
Other first names starting with U with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Upshur: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Upshur?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Upshur going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about - US residents.
Is Upshur a common name?
We classify Upshur as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Upshur most popular?
The single biggest year for Upshur was 1924, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Upshur is about 0 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Upshur in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Upshur a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Upshur in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Upshur still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Upshur in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Upshur can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Upshur?
You can see how many people have the name Upshur on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.