2000
#14,966
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,812
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.67
Rare Last name
Upham
A habitational surname indicating someone from a homestead or village on an upland or high area.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,926 Americans carry the last name Upham. That puts it at #16,586 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.56 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 177,962 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Upham 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 Upham with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.9K
1 in 177,962
Census rank
#16,586
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,680 bearers of the surname Upham in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.56 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 16586th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Upham, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Upham
The surname Upham originates from England and is believed to have derived from the Old English words "upp" and "ham," meaning "upper homestead" or "dwelling on higher ground." This name is associated with several places in Hampshire, such as Upper Upham and Nether Upham, indicating that the surname likely originated from these locations.
The earliest recorded spelling of the surname Upham can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Opham" and "Oppam." This medieval record suggests that the name has been in use since at least the 11th century.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Upham was William de Upham, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Hampshire in 1202. Another early record is that of Roger de Upham, who was listed in the Hundred Rolls of Hampshire in 1273.
In the 14th century, John Upham was mentioned in the Corpus Christi Guild Records of York in 1369. During the same period, the surname appeared in various forms, including "Uppham," "Opham," and "Uppeham," reflecting the regional variations in spelling and pronunciation.
Notable individuals with the surname Upham include:
1. Sir John Upham (c. 1420-1481), an English politician and lawyer who served as Chief Justice of the Common Pleas from 1469 to 1481.
2. Edward Upham (1776-1834), an American author and educator who served as the president of the New Hampshire Senate in 1829.
3. Caroline Upham Carleton (1808-1888), an American author and philanthropist known for her works on social reform and women's rights.
4. Thomas Cogswell Upham (1799-1872), an American philosopher and author who served as the president of Wabash College and the University of Vermont.
5. William Upham (1792-1853), an American lawyer and politician who served as a U.S. Senator from Vermont from 1841 to 1843.
The surname Upham has a long and well-documented history, with its roots dating back to medieval England. Over the centuries, individuals with this surname have made significant contributions in various fields, including law, politics, education, and literature.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Upham
Among Census respondents with the surname Upham, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Upham 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 Upham surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.3% · 1,500
- Two or more races4.0% · 67
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 60
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.2% · 37
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 11
- Black or African American0.3% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Upham
Upham 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
#16,060
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,804
-8 bearers (-0.4%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Down 1,094 places
2020
#16,586
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,680
-124 bearers (-6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.56
Rank movement Down 526 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,966 | 1,812 | 0.67 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,060 | 1,804 | 0.61 | -8 bearers (-0.4%) | Down 1,094 places |
| 2020 | #16,586 | 1,680 | 0.56 | -124 bearers (-6.9%) | Down 526 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 Upham 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 | #16,060 | #16,586 | -3.3% |
| Count | 1,804 | 1,680 | -6.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.61 | 0.56 | -7.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Upham bearers went from 1,804 to 1,680 (-6.9% change). The surname moved down 526 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,060 to #16,586.
FAQ
Upham surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Upham?
Name Census estimates that about 1,926 living Americans carry the surname Upham. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 177,962 residents.
How common is Upham?
Upham ranks #16,586 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.56 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 1,680 people with the surname Upham. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,926), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.56 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.56 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 Upham.
Has Upham become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Upham went from 1,804 recorded bearers to 1,680. That is a decrease of 124 (-6.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #16,060 to #16,586.
What does the Census say about the background of Upham?
Among Census respondents with the surname Upham, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Upham in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.3% (1,500 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Upham appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.3%), Two or More Races (4.0%), Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Upham (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 Upham mean?
A habitational surname indicating someone from a homestead or village on an upland or high area. 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 Upham (0.56 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 have the last name Upham?
You can see how many people have the last name Upham on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.