2000
#122,534
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Upman
An Americanized variant of a Germanic surname denoting a person from a higher location or place.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Upman. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Upman 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Upman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Upman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Upman
The surname Upman is of English origin, with roots tracing back to the 12th century. It is believed to have originated from the Old English words "upp" meaning "up" and "mann" meaning "man", likely referring to someone who lived or worked on higher ground or an elevated area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Upman can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk from 1166, where a person named Reginald Upman is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 12th century in the county of Norfolk, England.
In the 13th century, the name appears in various records across different counties in England. The Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279 mention a William Uppeman, while the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275 list a John Uppeman as a taxpayer.
The Upman name is also found in the Domesday Book of 1086, the famous survey commissioned by William the Conqueror. However, it is likely that the spelling was different at that time, potentially closer to the Old English roots of the name.
One notable individual bearing the Upman surname was Sir Thomas Upman, a prominent English lawyer and judge who lived from 1541 to 1608. He served as a Justice of the King's Bench and played a role in the trial of Sir Walter Raleigh.
Another historically significant figure was John Upman, born in 1664 in Gloucestershire. He was a renowned architect and builder, responsible for the construction of several churches and notable buildings in the region during the late 17th and early 18th centuries.
In the 16th century, a branch of the Upman family settled in the village of Uppingham in Rutland, England. It is believed that the village's name may have influenced or reinforced the spelling of their surname over time.
Other notable individuals with the Upman surname include Richard Upman (1697-1768), a British naval officer who served during the War of the Austrian Succession, and Mary Upman (1736-1812), a philanthropist and benefactor who established several charitable organizations in London.
While the origin and early history of the Upman surname can be traced back to England, the name has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration. However, its roots remain firmly grounded in the Old English language and the early medieval period of English history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Upman
Among Census respondents with the surname Upman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Upman 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 Upman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 112
- Two or more races4.1% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Upman
Upman 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
#133,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
-4 bearers (-3.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,329 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-5 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,446 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #122,534 | 130 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,863 | 126 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.1%) | Down 11,329 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.0%) | Down 7,446 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 Upman 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 | #133,863 | #141,309 | -5.6% |
| Count | 126 | 121 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Upman bearers went from 126 to 121 (-4.0% change). The surname moved down 7,446 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,863 to #141,309.
FAQ
Upman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Upman?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Upman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Upman?
Upman ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Upman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Upman.
Has Upman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Upman went from 126 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,863 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Upman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Upman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%). 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 Upman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Upman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Two or More Races (4.1%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%). 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 Upman (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 Upman mean?
An Americanized variant of a Germanic surname denoting a person from a higher location or place. 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 Upman (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 Upman?
You can see how common the surname Upman is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.