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

Uppal, 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 Uppal surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Uppal in America

Uppal is the 20364th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Uppal surname appeared 1,305 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 Uppal.

We can also compare 2010 data for Uppal 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 Uppal

The surname Uppal originated in the Indian subcontinent, more specifically in the Punjab region of modern-day India and Pakistan. The name is believed to have derived from the Sanskrit word 'upala,' meaning stone or pebble. This suggests that the name may have been associated with individuals or families who lived near stony areas or worked with stones, perhaps as builders or masons.

In terms of historical records, the Uppal name can be traced back to the 16th century in various manuscripts and chronicles from the Mughal era. One notable example is the Ain-i-Akbari, a detailed account of the administration and governance during the reign of Emperor Akbar, written by his court historian, Abul Fazl. This work mentions individuals with the surname Uppal holding positions of significance within the Mughal court.

The earliest recorded individual bearing the Uppal surname was Malik Uppal, a prominent landowner and chieftain who lived in the 15th century in the present-day Sialkot region of Punjab, Pakistan. Another early example is Rai Uppal, a renowned poet and scholar who flourished during the reign of Emperor Akbar in the 16th century.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the Uppal surname. One such figure was Diwan Uppal, a influential minister and advisor to the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in the 17th century. Another was Raja Uppal Singh, a valiant warrior and military commander who served under the Maharaja Ranjit Singh in the early 19th century during the Sikh Empire.

In the field of literature, Mohinder Singh Uppal (1920-2009) was a celebrated Punjabi writer and poet, known for his contributions to the development of Punjabi language and literature. He received numerous accolades, including the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award in 1983.

The Uppal surname has also been associated with places in the Punjab region. For instance, Uppal Kalan and Uppal Khurd are villages located in the Jalandhar district of Punjab, India, while Uppal Chak is a town in the Sialkot district of Punjab, Pakistan.

Throughout the centuries, the Uppal name has undergone various spellings and variations, such as Uppul, Uppall, and Uppala, reflecting the diverse linguistic influences and regional dialects of the Indian subcontinent.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Uppal

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

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

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

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