Surname Upford - Meaning and Origin
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Upford: What does the surname Upford mean?
The last name Upford is a habitational surname originally derived from a place in the north of England called Upford. This place was first recorded as Oppanforde and then later as Uppenforde in 1220. The name means “upper ford” in Old English and was used to describe a ford across a river at a higher level than normal. The surname can be traced back to the 12th century and is still in use in parts of England today.
Upford is a relatively uncommon name and is one of many habitational names found in the United Kingdom and Ireland. These types of surnames usually refer to a place a family originally lived or had connections to in the past. During medieval times and beyond, people often adopted the name of a place as their last name.
Throughout history, the Upford surname has been found in a variety of spellings, including Uppford, Upforth, Opford, Uppeford, Uppford and Uphford. Many of the first Upfords found in records arrived in America in the 17th and 18th centuries, particularly in Virginia and Pennsylvania. Today, the Upford surname is found widely across the United States and the British Isles.
Order DNA origin analysisUpford: Where does the name Upford come from?
Upford is an English surname of Norman origin, which suggests that it originated in Normandy, France. It is believed to have been brought to England after the Norman Conquest in 1066. Today, the surname Upford is much less common than in the past, though it is still present in various places around England and elsewhere.
The most populous region for people with the last name Upford is located in the East Midlands. Here, notable concentrations are found in Northampton and neighbouring towns such as Daventry, and further east to Spalding, in Lincolnshire. Outside of England, the surname Upford is quite rare.
The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland reports that in England, the majority of those with the surname Upford were originally located in the regions of Oxfordshire, Berkshire, and Wiltshire. Although the name may have spread further over the centuries, there is currently less of a presence in these areas.
In Scotland, there are only a few documented occurrences of the surname Upford, all located in regions neighbouring England such as Dumfries and Galloway.
Overall, the name Upford is uncommon today, but there are small concentrations of people with the surname Upford in various regions in England and Scotland. However, further research is necessary to better understand the geographical distribution of this surname today.
Variations of the surname Upford
The surname Upford is an English surname of local origin, hailing from the village of Upford, which lies in the county of Somerset in England. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words for ‘upper’ and ‘ford’, referring to a ford over a river upstream from the village. Within the Upford family, common variations and spellings of the name include Uppford, Uppeford, Oppford, Oppeford, and Opeford.
In addition, variants and alterations of the Upford name can also be seen among different branches and families of Upfords descending from more distant areas. These include Upward, Upwords, Upwards, Uppit, Oppert, Opert, Uppard, Upport, Upperton and Uppit. It is also possible that other Upford families have adopted alternate surnames over time due to migration, marriage, or other reasons, such as names with a similar sound or origin, including Upfill, Upfall, Upfell, Uphill, Uppill, and Uffill.
The Upford surname may have been further fragmented throughout the ages, as it is still widely represented within the UK in a variety of spellings. Many variants of this name can still be found in the various UK census records from the 1800s and 1900s, with the surname Upford typically being the most frequently listed version. According to these archives, the Upford surname is most commonly found in greater London, Wiltshire, the counties of Devon and Somerset, and other parts of the Southwest of England.
Famous people with the name Upford
- David Upford: British sprinter, currently holds the British record for the 200 metres.
- Robert Upford: English artist, most known for his wood sculptures and large-scale public works of art.
- Arthur Upford: British Army Officer, commanded the Royal Corps of Signals in London during World War II.
- George Upford: British actor, best remembered for originating the roles of Herbie in My Fair Lady on Broadway and Wolf in the original Broadway production of Fiddler on the Roof.
- Geoffrey Upford: English author, wrote the award-winning novel The White Horse of Zennor.
- Olivia Upford: English poet, best known for her collections The Turning and Selected Poems.
- Lawrence Upford: American lawyer, president of the Indiana state bar association in 1965.
- John Upford: American politician, served as a US Representative from Massachusetts from 1863 to 1865.
- Thomas Upford: British statesman, served as Member of Parliament for East Grinstead from 1951 to 1964.
- Christopher Upford: English organist and composer, best known for his organ work Elegy on a Sicilian Theme.