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

Upson, 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 Upson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Upson in America

Upson is the 16203rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Upson surname appeared 1,782 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Upson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Upson 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 Upson

The surname Upson has its origins in England, with the earliest records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "uppe" meaning "upper" and "sunu" meaning "son," suggesting that the name initially referred to someone who lived or worked in an elevated area or on higher ground.

One of the earliest known references to the name Upson can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Hampshire, a historical record of financial accounts, in 1195, where a person named Willelmus filius Uppeson was listed. This entry provides evidence of the name's existence during the late 12th century.

The Upson surname is also mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire, a census-like survey conducted in 1273, where a person named John Uppesone is recorded. This document serves as a valuable source for understanding the distribution of surnames in medieval England.

During the 13th century, the name Upson appeared in various forms, including Uppessone, Uppsone, and Upsun, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation common in that era. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and scribal practices.

In the 14th century, the Upson surname was found in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, a taxation record from 1327, where a person named Ricardus Uppeson was listed. This entry suggests the name's presence in different parts of England during that time.

One notable individual bearing the Upson surname was William Upson (1510-1568), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Great Yarmouth during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. His political career and involvement in local affairs attest to the prominence of the Upson family in that region.

Another historical figure was Thomas Upson (1635-1707), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Sambourne in Warwickshire. He is known for his theological writings and contributions to the religious discourse of his time.

In the 18th century, John Upson (1721-1803) was a prominent English clockmaker based in Wolverhampton. His clocks and timepieces were highly regarded, and some of them are preserved in museums and private collections today.

The Upson surname also made its way across the Atlantic, with notable individuals such as Benjamin Upson (1766-1835), an early American settler and farmer who played a role in the development of the town of Wolcott, Connecticut.

In the 19th century, Anson Judd Upson (1823-1904) was a prominent American lawyer, politician, and Civil War veteran from New York. He served as a member of the New York State Assembly and was actively involved in various legal and political matters during his lifetime.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Upson

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

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

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

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