NameCensus.

UK surname

Upsher

An English occupational surname originally meaning "keeper of the upshot", one who collected taxes or tolls.

In the 1881 census there were 81 people recorded with the Upsher surname, ranking it #22,082 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 96, ranked #31,684, down from #22,082 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Colchester St Botolph, St Mary at the Walls, St Giles, St Mary Magdalen, Holy Trinity, St Runwald, a and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Windsor and Maidenhead, Colchester and Fareham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Upsher is 129 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 18.5%.

1881 census count

81

Ranked #22,082

Modern count

96

2016, ranked #31,684

Peak year

2002

129 bearers

Map years

3

1911 to 2006

Key insights

  • Upsher had 81 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,082 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 96 in 2016, ranked #31,684.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 117 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Upsher surname distribution map

The map shows where the Upsher surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Upsher surname density by area, 2006 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Upsher over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 59 #22,756
1861 historical 44 #28,433
1881 historical 81 #22,082
1891 historical 91 #25,239
1901 historical 92 #23,800
1911 historical 117 #20,757
1997 modern 123 #23,792
1998 modern 121 #24,677
1999 modern 122 #24,745
2000 modern 121 #24,824
2001 modern 110 #25,900
2002 modern 129 #24,021
2003 modern 121 #24,776
2004 modern 121 #24,939
2005 modern 109 #26,583
2006 modern 116 #25,813
2007 modern 113 #26,641
2008 modern 107 #27,844
2009 modern 110 #27,991
2010 modern 106 #29,305
2011 modern 103 #29,589
2012 modern 108 #28,849
2013 modern 100 #30,773
2014 modern 96 #31,667
2015 modern 93 #31,972
2016 modern 96 #31,684

Geography

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Where Upshers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Colchester St Botolph, St Mary at the Walls, St Giles, St Mary Magdalen, Holy Trinity, St Runwald, a, Lambeth, St George the Martyr and Kelvedon. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Windsor and Maidenhead, Colchester, Fareham and Cornwall. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 3
2 Colchester St Botolph, St Mary at the Walls, St Giles, St Mary Magdalen, Holy Trinity, St Runwald, a Essex
3 Lambeth London (South Districts)
4 St George the Martyr London (South Districts)
5 Kelvedon Essex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Windsor and Maidenhead 008 Windsor and Maidenhead
2 Colchester 011 Colchester
3 Fareham 005 Fareham
4 Colchester 021 Colchester
5 Cornwall 033 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Upsher

These lists show first names that appear often with the Upsher surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Upsher

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Upsher, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Upsher surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Upsher household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Upsher is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Upsher is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Upsher falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Upsher is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Upsher, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Upsher

The surname Upsher is believed to have originated in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is likely derived from the Old English words "upp" and "scir," meaning "upper" and "shire," respectively. This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who resided in the upper part of a particular county or region.

One of the earliest known mentions of the Upsher name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex, dated 1296, which lists a certain William Upsher as a taxpayer. This indicates that the name was already established in that area by the late 13th century.

In the 14th century, the Upsher surname appeared in various regions of England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire. The Lincolnshire Survey of 1334 records a John Upsher as a landowner in the village of Barton-upon-Humber.

During the 16th century, the Upsher name was found in several parish records, such as the christening of John Upsher in Harworth, Nottinghamshire, in 1568. The variant spelling "Upshire" was also used in some areas, as evidenced by the marriage record of Thomas Upshire and Jane Woodhouse in Rotherham, Yorkshire, in 1587.

One notable bearer of the Upsher name was Sir William Upsher (1555-1623), a wealthy merchant and alderman of the City of London. He served as the Lord Mayor of London from 1621 to 1622 and was knighted by King James I in recognition of his contributions to the city.

Another well-known figure was John Upsher (1716-1798), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works, including "A Discourse on the Nature and Necessity of Regeneration" and "The Practical Expositor of the Book of Revelation."

In the 19th century, the Upsher surname was found in various parts of England, as well as in some areas of Scotland and Wales. One example is William Upsher (1832-1901), a Scottish engineer and inventor who patented several improvements to steam engines and boilers.

Throughout history, variations of the Upsher name have appeared, such as Upshire, Upshare, and Upshere, reflecting local dialects and spelling conventions. However, the core meaning and origin of the surname can be traced back to the Old English words describing an elevated location within a particular region.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Upsher families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Upsher surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Surrey leads with 44 Upshers recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.43x.

County Total Index
Surrey 44 11.43x
Essex 19 12.18x
Devon 6 3.65x
Kent 5 1.86x
Middlesex 4 0.51x
Norfolk 2 1.65x
Huntingdonshire 1 6.38x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bermondsey in Surrey leads with 16 Upshers recorded in 1881 and an index of 68.03x.

Place Total Index
Bermondsey 16 68.03x
Newington 13 44.55x
Kelvedon 10 2380.95x
Battersea 7 24.08x
Plumstead 5 55.68x
Ardleigh 4 930.23x
Lambeth 4 5.81x
Marldon 4 2857.14x
Westminster St John 3 31.19x
Plymouth St Andrew 2 15.79x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 12.58x
Stanway 2 740.74x
Wreningham 2 1538.46x
Brampton 1 303.03x
Clapham 1 10.12x
Colchester St Mary At 1 181.82x
Dedham 1 212.77x
Lexden 1 158.73x
Rotherhithe 1 10.25x
Willesden 1 13.42x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Upsher surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Jane 3
Mary 3
Ada 2
Alice 2
Edna 2
Eliza 2
Ellen 2
Emma 2
Sarah 2
Agnes 1
Ann 1
Annie 1
Bertha 1
Caroline 1
Edith 1
Elizth.Ann 1
Esther 1
Florence 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Jessie 1
Magdalena 1
Marian 1
Matilda 1
Phoebe 1
Rosena 1
Selina 1
Susan 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Upsher surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 7
George 5
John 3
Walter 3
Arthur 2
Ernest 2
Frederick 2
Henry 2
Herbert 2
James 2
Thomas 2
Albert 1
Edmund 1
Edwin 1
Eugene 1
Geo.Wm. 1
Howard 1
Percy 1
W.John 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Upsher households.

FAQ

Upsher surname: questions and answers

How common was the Upsher surname in 1881?

In 1881, 81 people were recorded with the Upsher surname. That placed it at #22,082 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Upsher surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 96 in 2016. That gives Upsher a modern rank of #31,684.

What does the Upsher surname mean?

An English occupational surname originally meaning "keeper of the upshot", one who collected taxes or tolls.

What does the Upsher map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Upsher bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.