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

Upah, 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 Upah surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Upah in America

Upah is the 66553rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Upah surname appeared 297 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 Upah.

We can also compare 2010 data for Upah 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 Upah

The surname Upah is believed to have originated in the Czech Republic during the late 16th century. It is derived from the Czech word "úpat," which means "to gasp" or "to pant." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone who had a habit of gasping or panting, perhaps due to a respiratory condition or physical exertion.

One of the earliest known references to the name Upah can be found in a 1589 parish record from the town of Litomerice, located in the northwestern region of Bohemia. The record mentions a farmer named Jan Upah, who was born around 1560.

In the 17th century, the name appears to have spread to other parts of the Czech lands, particularly in the areas surrounding the cities of Prague and Brno. During this time, the spelling of the name evolved to include variations such as Upah, Upach, and Upák.

A notable figure bearing the surname Upah was Matej Upah, a prominent Czech composer and organist who lived from 1679 to 1741. He is renowned for his contributions to the development of Baroque music in Central Europe.

Another historical figure with the surname Upah was Frantisek Upah (1748-1819), a respected Czech linguist and educator who authored several influential works on the Czech language and its grammar.

In the 19th century, the Upah surname began to appear in records from neighboring regions, such as Silesia and Moravia. This suggests that members of the Upah family may have migrated to these areas in search of better opportunities or due to political or economic circumstances.

One example from this period is Karel Upah (1822-1897), a renowned Czech architect who designed several iconic buildings in Prague, including the Czech National Theatre and the Rudolfinum concert hall.

Throughout its history, the surname Upah has remained relatively uncommon outside of the Czech Republic and its neighboring regions. However, it has been carried by a number of notable individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields, including music, linguistics, architecture, and education.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Upah

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

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

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

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