2000
#10,066
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,953
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.09
Rare Last name
Updike
Derived from a place name meaning "up the dike," referring to someone who lived on or near a dike.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,240 Americans carry the last name Updike. That puts it at #10,787 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.95 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 105,788 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Updike 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
3.2K
1 in 105,788
Census rank
#10,787
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,825 bearers of the surname Updike in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.95 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10787th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Updike, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Updike
The surname UPDIKE is of English origin, deriving from the Old English words "uppe" meaning "upon" and "dīc" meaning "a ditch or embankment". It likely originated as a topographic name referring to someone who lived near a raised embankment or dike.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century in various parts of England, particularly in counties like Suffolk and Norfolk. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Updike, who was mentioned in the Feet of Fines records for Suffolk in 1258.
Another early reference to the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which mentions a Richard Updike. The name also appeared in the Subsidy Rolls for Cambridgeshire in 1327, listing a John Updyke.
Variations in the spelling of the name were common in early records, with forms like Upedike, Updyke, and Updike being used interchangeably. Some of these variations were likely influenced by local dialects and the pronunciation of the name in different regions.
One notable bearer of the UPDIKE surname was John Updike (1932-2009), an American novelist, poet, short story writer, and critic. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential writers of the 20th century, known for works such as the Rabbit series, The Centaur, and The Witches of Eastwick.
Another individual of historical significance was Wilkins Updike (1790-1867), an American typographer and printer who is credited with reviving interest in the design and production of high-quality printed materials in the 19th century. His work played a significant role in the development of modern printing techniques.
Clive Updike (1898-1984) was a British historian and author, known for his biographies of notable figures such as Samuel Johnson and Benjamin Disraeli. He was also a respected academic and held positions at various universities, including Oxford and Cambridge.
The UPDIKE surname has also been associated with notable individuals in other fields, such as William Updike (1860-1940), an American businessman and politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts.
While the UPDIKE name originated in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, through migration and immigration over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Updike
Among Census respondents with the surname Updike, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Updike 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 Updike surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 2,613
- Two or more races3.3% · 92
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 83
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 18
- Black or African American0.5% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Updike
Updike 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
#10,829
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,941
-12 bearers (-0.4%)
Per 100,000 1.00
Rank movement Down 763 places
2020
#10,787
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,825
-116 bearers (-3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.95
Rank movement Up 42 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,066 | 2,953 | 1.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,829 | 2,941 | 1.00 | -12 bearers (-0.4%) | Down 763 places |
| 2020 | #10,787 | 2,825 | 0.95 | -116 bearers (-3.9%) | Up 42 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 Updike 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 | #10,829 | #10,787 | 0.4% |
| Count | 2,941 | 2,825 | -3.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.00 | 0.95 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Updike bearers went from 2,941 to 2,825 (-3.9% change). The surname moved up 42 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,829 to #10,787.
FAQ
Updike surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Updike?
Name Census estimates that about 3,240 living Americans carry the surname Updike. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 105,788 residents.
How common is Updike?
Updike ranks #10,787 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.95 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,825 people with the surname Updike. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,240), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.95 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.95 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Updike.
Has Updike become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Updike went from 2,941 recorded bearers to 2,825. That is a decrease of 116 (-3.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,829 to #10,787.
What does the Census say about the background of Updike?
Among Census respondents with the surname Updike, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Updike in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (2,613 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Updike appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Two or More Races (3.3%), Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Updike (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 Updike mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "up the dike," referring to someone who lived on or near a dike. 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 Updike (0.95 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 people share the surname Updike?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.