2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Upcraft
A locational surname derived from a place name containing the elements "up" and "croft", referring to a small farm or enclosed piece of land on higher ground.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Upcraft. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Upcraft 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 Upcraft with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Upcraft in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Upcraft, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (6.9%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Upcraft
The surname Upcraft is of English origin, deriving from the Old English words "upp" meaning "up" and "cræft" meaning "craft" or "skill." It is believed to have emerged as an occupational surname in the Middle Ages, referring to a skilled craftsman or artisan who worked at an elevated workplace, such as an upper chamber or workshop.
The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the late 13th century, with entries in the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk from 1273 and the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield from 1275, both mentioning individuals with variations of the surname Upcraft or Upcrafte.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in the Register of the Freemen of the City of York from 1301, where a certain John Upcrafte was listed as a freeman and member of the guild of weavers. This suggests that the Upcraft family had established roots in the city of York and were involved in the textile trade.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was William Upcroft, a yeoman from the village of Westhoughton in Lancashire, who was mentioned in the Court Leet Records of 1428. This spelling variation, Upcroft, likely derived from the same occupational origins but with a slight alteration in the suffix.
During the 16th century, the Upcraft name appeared in various church records and parish registers across England, particularly in the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, and Yorkshire. Notable individuals from this era include Thomas Upcraft, a merchant from Norwich who was mentioned in the city's records in 1587, and John Upcraft, a farmer from the village of Walpole in Norfolk, whose will was recorded in 1598.
In the 17th century, the surname gained prominence with the birth of Christopher Upcraft, a renowned English painter and engraver who lived from 1634 to 1706. His works, which included portraits and religious scenes, can be found in various collections across Britain and Europe.
Another noteworthy figure was Robert Upcraft, a prominent lawyer and member of the Inner Temple in London, who was born in 1670 and played a significant role in several high-profile legal cases during the late 17th and early 18th centuries.
As the centuries progressed, the Upcraft surname continued to spread across various regions of England, with branches of the family establishing themselves in counties such as Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Northamptonshire. While the name has remained relatively uncommon, it has persisted throughout history, with various individuals bearing the surname making contributions in fields such as art, law, and agriculture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Upcraft
Among Census respondents with the surname Upcraft, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (6.9%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Upcraft 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 Upcraft surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.3% · 86
- American Indian and Alaska Native6.9% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.9% · 3
- Two or more races2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Upcraft
Upcraft 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+4 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,400 places
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-13 bearers (-11.3%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 10,614 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #138,741 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.6%) | Down 5,400 places |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -13 bearers (-11.3%) | Down 10,614 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 Upcraft 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 | #144,141 | #154,755 | -7.4% |
| Count | 115 | 102 | -11.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Upcraft bearers went from 115 to 102 (-11.3% change). The surname moved down 10,614 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #154,755.
FAQ
Upcraft surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Upcraft?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Upcraft. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Upcraft?
Upcraft ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 102 people with the surname Upcraft. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Upcraft.
Has Upcraft become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Upcraft went from 115 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 13 (-11.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Upcraft?
Among Census respondents with the surname Upcraft, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (6.9%) and Hispanic (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 Upcraft in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.3% (86 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Upcraft appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.3%), American Indian/Alaska Native (6.9%), Hispanic (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 Upcraft (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 Upcraft mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name containing the elements "up" and "croft", referring to a small farm or enclosed piece of land on higher ground. 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 Upcraft (0.03 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 common is the surname Upcraft?
Find out how common the surname Upcraft is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.