2000
#8,316
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,663
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.36
Rare Last name
Tupper
An English occupational surname for a maker or seller of tubs and cups.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,119 Americans carry the last name Tupper. That puts it at #8,762 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.20 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 83,213 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tupper 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Tupper with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.1K
1 in 83,213
Census rank
#8,762
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,592 bearers of the surname Tupper in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.20 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8762nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tupper, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tupper
The surname Tupper originated in England and dates back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "topp" or "top", which referred to a high hill or elevated land. This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near or on a hill.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Tupper surname can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which listed individuals and their landholdings in various counties across England. The name appeared as "Richard de Toppe" in Oxfordshire.
In the 14th century, the Tupper name was also documented in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, where it was spelled as "Topper". This variation in spelling was not uncommon during that time period due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.
The Tupper surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest recorded was Sir Walter Tupper, who lived in the late 14th century and was a prominent member of the gentry in Oxfordshire. He held lands in the village of Wilcote and served as a Justice of the Peace.
Another early figure with this surname was Thomas Tupper (c. 1455-1509), who was a Sheriff of Gloucestershire and held the manors of Cricklade and Chelworth in Wiltshire.
During the 16th century, the Tupper name appeared in various records, including parish registers and tax rolls. One notable individual from this period was Martin Tupper (1538-1619), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Oxfordshire.
In the 17th century, the Tupper family established themselves in Surrey, where they owned the manor of Hog's Mill in the parish of Leatherhead. One of the most prominent members of this branch was Sir Thomas Tupper (1638-1701), who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1692.
Another notable figure was Martin Farquhar Tupper (1810-1889), an English writer and author of the widely popular book "Proverbial Philosophy". He was born in London and gained fame for his didactic and moralizing poetry.
Throughout history, the Tupper surname has been associated with various place names in England, such as Tupper's Hill in Surrey and Tupper's Green in Oxfordshire, further reflecting its origins and connections to specific geographical locations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tupper
Among Census respondents with the surname Tupper, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Tupper 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 Tupper surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.6% · 3,182
- Hispanic or Latino4.6% · 165
- Two or more races3.9% · 140
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 40
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 36
- Black or African American0.8% · 29
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tupper
Tupper 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
#8,335
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,973
+310 bearers (+8.5%)
Per 100,000 1.35
Rank movement Down 19 places
2020
#8,762
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,592
-381 bearers (-9.6%)
Per 100,000 1.20
Rank movement Down 427 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,316 | 3,663 | 1.36 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,335 | 3,973 | 1.35 | +310 bearers (+8.5%) | Down 19 places |
| 2020 | #8,762 | 3,592 | 1.20 | -381 bearers (-9.6%) | Down 427 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 Tupper 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 | #8,335 | #8,762 | -5.1% |
| Count | 3,973 | 3,592 | -9.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.35 | 1.20 | -11.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tupper bearers went from 3,973 to 3,592 (-9.6% change). The surname moved down 427 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,335 to #8,762.
FAQ
Tupper surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tupper?
Name Census estimates that about 4,119 living Americans carry the surname Tupper. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 83,213 residents.
How common is Tupper?
Tupper ranks #8,762 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.20 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 3,592 people with the surname Tupper. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.2 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.20 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 Tupper.
Has Tupper become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tupper went from 3,973 recorded bearers to 3,592. That is a decrease of 381 (-9.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,335 to #8,762.
What does the Census say about the background of Tupper?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tupper, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Tupper in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.6% (3,182 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tupper appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.6%), Hispanic (4.6%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Tupper (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 Tupper mean?
An English occupational surname for a maker or seller of tubs and cups. 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 Tupper (1.20 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 Americans have the surname Tupper?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.