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

Umstead, 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 Umstead surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Umstead in America

Umstead is the 15127th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Umstead surname appeared 1,949 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Umstead.

We can also compare 2010 data for Umstead to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Umstead

The surname Umstead originated in England during the medieval period, believed to have derived from the Old English words "umbe" meaning "ridge" and "stede" meaning "place" or "farm." This suggests the name likely referred to someone who lived near a prominent ridge or hilltop.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which listed a landowner named Umstede in Gloucestershire. This provides evidence that the name was already in use by the late 11th century.

Throughout the Middle Ages, various spellings of the name emerged, such as Umstede, Umsted, and Umpstead, reflecting the evolution of language and regional dialects across different parts of England.

In the 13th century, records show an individual named Richard de Umstede who held lands in Oxfordshire. This indicates that by this time, the name had spread beyond its presumed origins in the south-western region of England.

During the 16th century, the spelling "Umstead" became more prevalent, as evidenced by the birth of John Umstead in 1587 in Wiltshire. This John Umstead was notably a member of the English gentry and served as a local magistrate.

Another prominent figure bearing the Umstead name was William Umstead, born in 1632 in Somerset. He was a successful merchant and landowner, and his descendants continued to play influential roles in their local communities.

As the centuries progressed, the Umstead family dispersed across various parts of England, with some members eventually migrating to the American colonies in the 17th and 18th centuries, where the name took root and continued to be passed down through generations.

Notable individuals with the Umstead surname include Jonathan Umstead (1804-1884), a prominent farmer and politician in North Carolina, and William B. Umstead (1895-1954), who served as the 57th Governor of North Carolina from 1953 to 1954.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Umstead

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

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 Umstead 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.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Umstead has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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 Umstead was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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