2000
#22,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,078
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.40
Rare Last name
Umphrey
Scottish surname derived from the given name Humphrey, meaning "worthy peace".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,210 Americans carry the last name Umphrey. That puts it at #24,678 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.35 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 283,268 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Umphrey 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
1.2K
1 in 283,268
Census rank
#24,678
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,055 bearers of the surname Umphrey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.35 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 24678th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Umphrey, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Black (7.2%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Umphrey
The surname Umphrey has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated from the Old English personal name "Hunfrith," which is composed of the elements "hun" meaning "bear cub" and "frith" meaning "peace." This name was often anglicized to "Humphrey" and its various spellings, including Umphrey.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Umphrey can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Hunfrid" and "Hunfridus." This suggests that the name was already in use among the Anglo-Saxon population before the Norman Conquest.
In the 13th century, the surname Umphrey was found in various records, including the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire and the Feet of Fines for Essex, where it was spelled as "Umfrey" and "Umfrai." These records indicate that the name was prevalent in the southeastern regions of England during this time.
The surname Umphrey has also been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such person was Sir William Umphrey (c. 1388-1456), a member of the English gentry and a supporter of the House of Lancaster during the Wars of the Roses. Another was John Umphrey (c. 1520-1593), an English churchman who served as the Dean of Gloucester Cathedral.
In the 16th century, the surname Umphrey was found in various parish records and tax rolls, often spelled as "Umfrey" or "Umphray." One notable individual from this period was Thomas Umphrey (c. 1550-1619), a member of the Grocers' Company in London and a benefactor to the parish of St. Olave's, Southwark.
During the 17th century, the surname Umphrey continued to appear in various records, including the Hearth Tax Rolls of Oxfordshire and the Protestation Returns for Gloucestershire. One notable individual from this era was Robert Umphrey (c. 1620-1685), a member of the Parliament of England and a supporter of the Commonwealth during the English Civil War.
In the 18th century, the surname Umphrey was found in various wills, marriage records, and other documents. One notable individual from this period was John Umphrey (c. 1710-1786), a merchant and landowner in the parish of Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire.
These examples illustrate the long and varied history of the surname Umphrey, which has its roots in medieval England and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Umphrey
Among Census respondents with the surname Umphrey, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Black (7.2%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Umphrey 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 Umphrey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.7% · 894
- Black or African American7.2% · 76
- Two or more races4.3% · 45
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 30
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Umphrey
Umphrey 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
#22,856
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,120
+42 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.38
Rank movement Down 552 places
2020
#24,678
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,055
-65 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.35
Rank movement Down 1,822 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #22,304 | 1,078 | 0.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #22,856 | 1,120 | 0.38 | +42 bearers (+3.9%) | Down 552 places |
| 2020 | #24,678 | 1,055 | 0.35 | -65 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 1,822 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 Umphrey 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 | #22,856 | #24,678 | -8.0% |
| Count | 1,120 | 1,055 | -5.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.38 | 0.35 | -7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Umphrey bearers went from 1,120 to 1,055 (-5.8% change). The surname moved down 1,822 positions in the national ranking, going from #22,856 to #24,678.
FAQ
Umphrey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Umphrey?
Name Census estimates that about 1,210 living Americans carry the surname Umphrey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 283,268 residents.
How common is Umphrey?
Umphrey ranks #24,678 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.35 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,055 people with the surname Umphrey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,210), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.35 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.35 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Umphrey.
Has Umphrey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Umphrey went from 1,120 recorded bearers to 1,055. That is a decrease of 65 (-5.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #22,856 to #24,678.
What does the Census say about the background of Umphrey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Umphrey, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Black (7.2%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Umphrey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.7% (894 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Umphrey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.7%), Black (7.2%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Umphrey (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 Umphrey mean?
Scottish surname derived from the given name Humphrey, meaning "worthy peace". 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 Umphrey (0.35 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 Umphrey?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.