2000
#11,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,452
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.91
Rare Last name
Gupton
Derived from a place name meaning "Gubb's farmstead" in Old English, referring to an area owned by someone named Gubb.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,624 Americans carry the last name Gupton. That puts it at #12,854 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.77 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 130,623 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gupton surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
2.6K
1 in 130,623
Census rank
#12,854
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,288 bearers of the surname Gupton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.77 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12854th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gupton, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.7%. The next largest groups are Black (22.8%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gupton
The surname Gupton is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "gup" and "tun," which together mean "valley settlement." This suggests that the name may have referred to someone who lived in a valley or near a valley settlement.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gupton can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land and property ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name was likely spelled differently at that time, with variations such as "Guptun" or "Guptone."
In the 13th century, records show a John de Gupton who was a landowner in the county of Gloucestershire. This indicates that the name had become more established and was associated with a specific location or estate.
During the 14th century, the surname Gupton appears to have spread to other parts of England, with records showing individuals with the name in counties such as Oxfordshire and Warwickshire. This suggests that families bearing the name may have migrated or established new branches in different regions.
One notable figure with the surname Gupton was Sir Robert Gupton, who lived in the late 16th century. He was a wealthy merchant and landowner who served as the High Sheriff of Gloucestershire in 1587. His descendants continued to play a prominent role in the county's affairs for several generations.
Another individual of historical significance was Thomas Gupton, born in 1622. He was a Puritan minister and author who emigrated to Massachusetts in the early days of the American colonies. His writings on religious and philosophical topics were widely read and influential among the Puritan community in New England.
In the 18th century, the Gupton surname can be found in records from various parts of England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Somerset. This suggests that the name had become more widely dispersed across the country by that time.
One notable Gupton from this era was William Gupton, born in 1742, who was a respected lawyer and judge in London. He presided over several high-profile cases and was known for his fairness and legal expertise.
As the centuries progressed, the Gupton surname continued to be represented in various walks of life, including the arts, military, and academia. For example, Mary Gupton, born in 1823, was a celebrated poet and novelist whose works explored themes of love, nature, and social commentary.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gupton
Among Census respondents with the surname Gupton, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.7%. The next largest groups are Black (22.8%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Gupton bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Gupton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White70.7% · 1,618
- Black or African American22.8% · 522
- Two or more races4.0% · 91
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 44
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gupton
Gupton appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#12,602
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,456
+4 bearers (+0.2%)
Per 100,000 0.83
Rank movement Down 890 places
2020
#12,854
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,288
-168 bearers (-6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Down 252 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,712 | 2,452 | 0.91 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,602 | 2,456 | 0.83 | +4 bearers (+0.2%) | Down 890 places |
| 2020 | #12,854 | 2,288 | 0.77 | -168 bearers (-6.8%) | Down 252 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Gupton surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #12,602 | #12,854 | -2.0% |
| Count | 2,456 | 2,288 | -6.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.83 | 0.77 | -7.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gupton bearers went from 2,456 to 2,288 (-6.8% change). The surname moved down 252 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,602 to #12,854.
FAQ
Gupton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gupton?
Name Census estimates that about 2,624 living Americans carry the surname Gupton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 130,623 residents.
How common is Gupton?
Gupton ranks #12,854 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.77 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,288 people with the surname Gupton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,624), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.77 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.77 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Gupton.
Has Gupton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gupton went from 2,456 recorded bearers to 2,288. That is a decrease of 168 (-6.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,602 to #12,854.
What does the Census say about the background of Gupton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gupton, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.7%. The next largest groups are Black (22.8%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Gupton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 70.7% (1,618 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gupton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (70.7%), Black (22.8%), Two or More Races (4.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Gupton (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Gupton mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "Gubb's farmstead" in Old English, referring to an area owned by someone named Gubb. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Gupton (0.77 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Gupton?
See how many people have the last name Gupton on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.