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

Upshaw, 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 Upshaw surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Upshaw in America

Upshaw is the 4778th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Upshaw surname appeared 7,401 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Upshaw.

We can also compare 2010 data for Upshaw 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 Upshaw

The surname Upshaw has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from an Old English place name, possibly "Upshaws" or a similar spelling, which referred to a location near a wooded area on higher ground.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Upshaw can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This suggests that the name was already established in certain regions of the country by the late 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, the Upshaw name was primarily concentrated in the counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire, where it was associated with landowning families and members of the local gentry. Variations in spelling were common, with records showing variations such as Upshagh, Upshawe, and Opshawe.

Notable historical figures bearing the Upshaw surname include Sir Robert Upshaw (1550-1621), a prominent merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London. Another notable figure was Elizabeth Upshaw (1670-1739), a renowned herbalist and healer in the village of Eccleston, Lancashire.

As the centuries passed, the Upshaw name spread across England and eventually made its way to other parts of the British Isles and beyond. John Upshaw (1795-1874), born in Kent, was a pioneering settler in Australia, establishing a successful farming operation in the colony of New South Wales.

In the United States, the Upshaw name can be traced back to the early colonial period, with records indicating that Thomas Upshaw (1620-1695) immigrated from England to Virginia in the mid-17th century. His descendants went on to play influential roles in the development of several southern states.

Other notable individuals with the Upshaw surname include William Upshaw (1888-1959), a prominent American politician who served as a United States Senator from Georgia, and George Upshaw (1923-1976), a renowned jazz drummer and bandleader active in the mid-20th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Upshaw

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

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

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

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