Find out how popular the last name Umphreys is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Umphreys.

Umphreys, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Umphreys surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Umphreys in America

Umphreys is the 153769th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Umphreys surname appeared 106 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Umphreys.

The history of the last name Umphreys

The surname Umphreys has its roots in England, tracing back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have originated from the Old English personal name "Umfrīd," which is a compound of the elements "un" meaning "not" and "frið" meaning "peace" or "security." This name was borne by a noble family who held lands in Northamptonshire and Warwickshire during the Middle Ages.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire in 1195, where it is spelled as "Umfridus." Over time, various spelling variations emerged, such as Umfrey, Umphrey, and Umphreys, reflecting the regional dialects and scribal interpretations of the name.

The Umphreys surname is closely associated with the village of Ridlington in Rutland, where a branch of the family held considerable estates. In the 13th century, a Robert Umfrey was documented as holding land in Ridlington, and his descendants continued to possess these properties for several generations.

During the medieval period, the Umphreys family produced several notable individuals. One such figure was Sir Thomas Umphrey (c. 1370-1448), a distinguished military commander who served under Henry V during the Hundred Years' War. He was knighted for his valor at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415.

Another prominent bearer of the name was Richard Umphreys (c. 1490-1557), a lawyer and Member of Parliament who served as a Justice of the Common Pleas during the reign of Edward VI. He was also the owner of the manor of Hollingbourne in Kent.

In the 16th century, the Umphreys family established themselves in various parts of England, including Wiltshire and Somerset. John Umphreys (c. 1540-1610) was a notable clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Wiltshire and authored several theological works.

During the English Civil War, Colonel John Umphreys (c. 1610-1662) was a distinguished soldier who fought on the Parliamentarian side. He played a significant role in the defense of Warwick Castle and was later appointed as the Governor of Stafford.

In the literary realm, Ozias Humphry (1742-1810), a renowned English painter and portraitist, is believed to have descended from the Umphreys family. His works grace the collections of prestigious institutions such as the National Portrait Gallery in London.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Umphreys

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Umphreys.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Umphreys was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Umphreys was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Umphreys, please contact us.

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