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

Uphold, 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 Uphold surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Uphold in America

Uphold is the 30946th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Uphold surname appeared 751 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 Uphold.

We can also compare 2010 data for Uphold 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 Uphold

The surname Uphold is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, likely derived from the Old English words "up" and "hold," which together suggest a meaning related to maintaining or supporting something. It is thought to have initially been used as a descriptive name for someone employed in a position that involved upholding or sustaining a particular task or responsibility.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Uphold can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1242, which mention a person named Robert Upholde. This suggests that the surname was already in use by the 13th century.

In the 14th century, the Hundredorum Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279 list a John Uphold, while the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire from 1348 reference a William Upholde. These records indicate that the name was present in various regions of England during the Middle Ages.

The surname Uphold is also believed to have had variations in spelling over time, including Upholde, Upholle, and Upholl. These alternative spellings likely reflected local dialects and variations in pronunciation.

Notable individuals with the surname Uphold throughout history include:

1. William Uphold (c. 1495 - 1568), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Southwark during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

2. Robert Uphold (1570 - 1635), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works, including "A Treatise on Christian Piety" and "The Pathway to Heaven."

3. Elizabeth Uphold (1629 - 1702), an English landowner and philanthropist known for her significant contributions to various charitable causes in the county of Gloucestershire.

4. John Uphold (1745 - 1820), a British military officer who served in the American Revolutionary War and later became a prominent landowner in Virginia.

5. Mary Uphold (1798 - 1876), an English author and educator who published several books on education and child-rearing practices in the 19th century.

While the surname Uphold has maintained a presence throughout the centuries, it has never been among the most common surnames in England or other parts of the world. Nevertheless, it carries a rich history and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Uphold

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!