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

Upper, 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 Upper surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Upper in America

Upper is the 100302nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Upper surname appeared 180 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 Upper.

We can also compare 2010 data for Upper 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 Upper

The surname UPPER is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval era. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "uferan," which means "higher" or "upper." This suggests that the name originally referred to someone who lived at a higher or more elevated location, perhaps in a hillside village or on higher ground.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname UPPER can be found in the 13th century Hundredorum Rolls of Oxfordshire, where a William le Upper was listed as a resident of the county. This early spelling variation, "le Upper," indicates the name's descriptive nature, denoting someone who lived in an upper or higher location.

The UPPER surname is also associated with the historic county of Derbyshire in the East Midlands of England. Records from the 14th century mention an Adam Upper, who lived in the village of Ashover in Derbyshire. This connection to specific locations reinforces the idea that the name originated as a topographic descriptor.

In the 16th century, the surname UPPER appeared in various parish records across England, including those of St. Mary's Church in Beverley, Yorkshire, where a Thomas Upper was christened in 1583. The name also surfaced in the records of St. Giles' Church in Oxford, with the baptism of Elizabeth Upper in 1592.

Notable historical figures bearing the UPPER surname include Sir Richard Upper (1592-1670), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Northamptonshire in the 17th century. Another prominent individual was John Upper (1730-1804), an English architect and surveyor who contributed to the design of several notable buildings in London.

Other notable individuals with the UPPER surname include Thomas Upper (1824-1888), a British lawyer and author who wrote extensively on legal topics, and William Upper (1784-1858), an English landscape painter known for his depictions of rural scenes and coastal landscapes.

While the UPPER surname originated in England, it later spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration. However, the historical records and references mentioned here primarily focus on the name's English roots and its early usage in various regions and contexts within the British Isles.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Upper

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

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

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

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