2010
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Upward
A surname indicating an optimistic or ambitious nature, or relating to someone who lived higher up.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Upward. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Upward surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Upward with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Upward in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Upward, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.5%) and Black (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Upward
The surname Upward is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word "uppeweard" which means "upward" or "directed towards the higher part." It first emerged as a descriptive surname, likely referring to someone who lived at a higher elevation or on a hill.
The earliest known record of the name dates back to the late 13th century in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, where a Richard Upward was mentioned in 1275. The name also appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1279, with a John Upward listed as a resident.
During the medieval period, the Upward surname was predominantly concentrated in the West Midlands region of England, particularly in Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, and Oxfordshire. This suggests that the name may have originated in this area before gradually spreading to other parts of the country.
One notable early bearer of the name was John Upward, who was listed as a landowner in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1334. Another early example is William Upward, who was mentioned in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire in 1379.
The Upward surname has also been linked to various place names, such as Upward Hill in Worcestershire and Upward Green in Shropshire. These place names likely influenced the development and spread of the surname in those regions.
Amongst the notable individuals bearing the Upward surname throughout history are:
1. Thomas Upward (c.1590-1672), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of St. Olave's Church in Hart Street, London.
2. Edward Upward (1903-2009), a British writer and novelist known for his works such as "The Rotten Elements" and "The Railway Accident."
3. Allen Upward (1863-1926), an English writer and critic who was a prominent figure in the early 20th century literary scene.
4. Graham Upward (1926-2012), a British engineer and inventor who developed the Upward Curve, a design principle for improving the aerodynamics of vehicles.
5. John Upward (1789-1853), an English engraver and illustrator who produced works for various publications, including the Gentleman's Magazine.
While the Upward surname may not be as prevalent as some others, it has a rich history deeply rooted in the English language and culture, spanning several centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Upward
Among Census respondents with the surname Upward, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.5%) and Black (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Upward bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Upward surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.0% · 92
- Two or more races6.5% · 7
- Black or African American2.8% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Upward
Upward appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+7 bearers (+7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,336 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+7.0%) | Up 9,336 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Upward surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #160,975 | #151,639 | 5.8% |
| Count | 100 | 107 | 7.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 19.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Upward bearers went from 100 to 107 (+7.0% change). The surname moved up 9,336 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #151,639.
FAQ
Upward surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Upward?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Upward. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Upward?
Upward ranks #151,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 107 people with the surname Upward. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Upward.
Has Upward become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Upward went from 100 recorded bearers to 107. That is an increase of 7 (+7.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Upward?
Among Census respondents with the surname Upward, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.5%) and Black (2.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Upward in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.0% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Upward appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.0%), Two or More Races (6.5%), Black (2.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Upward (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Upward mean?
A surname indicating an optimistic or ambitious nature, or relating to someone who lived higher up. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Upward (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Upward?
You can see how many people are called Upward on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.