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

Upright, 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 Upright surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Upright in America

Upright is the 28362nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Upright surname appeared 842 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 Upright.

We can also compare 2010 data for Upright 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 Upright

The surname Upright is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, likely derived from the Old English word "upriht," meaning "straight" or "upright." It is thought to have initially been used as a descriptive nickname for someone with an upright or honest character, or possibly for someone who was physically tall and straight-standing.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Upright can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, which mention a person named Upright de Wyke. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 12th century.

In the 13th century, the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279 include a reference to a man named William Upperight, indicating a slight variation in spelling. Place names may have also influenced the development of the surname, such as the village of Upright in Somerset, which is recorded in historical documents from the 14th century.

Notable individuals with the surname Upright throughout history include Sir John Upright (1550-1620), a prominent English lawyer and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. In the 17th century, Thomas Upright (1622-1689) was a Puritan minister and author who played a significant role in the establishment of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

During the 18th century, Samuel Upright (1735-1812) was a British naval officer who served in the American Revolutionary War and was later appointed as the Governor of Bermuda. In the 19th century, Mary Upright (1845-1920) was a renowned English writer and poet, known for her works exploring the themes of nature and spirituality.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Upright was Sir Geoffrey Upright (1886-1958), a British explorer and archaeologist who led several expeditions to Egypt and contributed significantly to the study of ancient Egyptian civilization.

While the surname Upright originated in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through immigration and migration patterns. However, the earliest recorded instances and historical references remain rooted in the British Isles.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Upright

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

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

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

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