2000
#125,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Uphouse
A residential or housing-related surname, possibly referring to someone living in an upstairs or elevated home.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Uphouse. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Uphouse 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Uphouse in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Uphouse, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Black (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Uphouse
The surname Uphouse originated in England during the late medieval period, likely in the 14th or 15th century. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from a place name that referred to a dwelling or residence situated on higher ground or a hill. The prefix "up" stems from the Old English word "upp," meaning "up" or "higher," while the suffix "house" comes from the Old English "hus," meaning a dwelling or residence.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Uphouse can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1524, where it appears as "Uphowse." This entry suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by the early 16th century. The name may have also been influenced by similar-sounding place names, such as Uphouse in Northumberland or Uphouse Farm in Yorkshire.
A notable bearer of the Uphouse name was Sir Thomas Uphouse, a wealthy merchant and landowner who lived in the late 16th century. He is recorded as having owned extensive properties in London and the surrounding counties. Another individual of note was Elizabeth Uphouse, born in 1632, who was a renowned author and poet during the Restoration period.
In the 17th century, the Uphouse family had strong ties to the county of Dorset, where several members of the family held prominent positions in local government and the clergy. One such individual was Reverend William Uphouse (1654-1721), who served as the vicar of Shaftesbury for over three decades.
The Uphouse name also has connections to the American colonies, with records indicating that a John Uphouse (born around 1690) emigrated from England to Virginia in the early 18th century. His descendants went on to establish themselves as successful farmers and landowners in the region.
Another noteworthy bearer of the Uphouse name was Sir Robert Uphouse (1785-1862), a British military officer who served with distinction in the Napoleonic Wars. He was awarded several honors for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield.
Throughout its history, the Uphouse surname has maintained a strong association with its English origins, though variations in spelling, such as Uphowse, Uphousen, and Uphousen, have also been documented over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Uphouse
Among Census respondents with the surname Uphouse, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Black (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Uphouse 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 Uphouse surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 109
- Two or more races5.1% · 6
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Uphouse
Uphouse 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-8 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,501 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,371 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #125,639 | 126 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 15,501 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 2,371 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 Uphouse 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 | #141,140 | #143,511 | -1.7% |
| Count | 118 | 118 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Uphouse bearers went from 118 to 118 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 2,371 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #143,511.
FAQ
Uphouse surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Uphouse?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Uphouse. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Uphouse?
Uphouse ranks #143,511 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 118 people with the surname Uphouse. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Uphouse.
Has Uphouse become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Uphouse went from 118 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Uphouse?
Among Census respondents with the surname Uphouse, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Black (0.8%). 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 Uphouse in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Uphouse appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Two or More Races (5.1%), Black (0.8%). 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 Uphouse (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 Uphouse mean?
A residential or housing-related surname, possibly referring to someone living in an upstairs or elevated home. 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 Uphouse (0.04 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 Uphouse?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Uphouse on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.