Contents [hide]

Upson History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Upson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Cornwall, one of the original six "Celtic nations" is the homeland to the surname Upson. A revival of the Cornish language which began in the 9th century AD has begun. No doubt this was the language spoken by distant forebears of the Upson family. Though surnames became common during medieval times, English people were formerly known only by a single name. The way in which hereditary surnames were adopted in medieval England is fascinating. Many Cornish surnames appear to be topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees, many are actually habitation surnames. The name Upson is a local type of surname and the Upson family lived in Cornwall, in the village of Upton. which literally means "higher farmstead or village," from the Old English words "upp" + "tun." 1

Early Origins of the Upson family

The surname Upson was first found in Cornwall at Upton, a hamlet that dates at least back to the Domesday Book of 1086. 1

"The manor of Trelaske [in the parish of Lewannick, Cornwall] belonged to the Upton family prior to the Reformation ; but in the reign of Henry VIII. it was carried by co-heiresses to two brothers of the Lower family." 2

While there are numerous place so named in England, it is in this area where "an ancient Cornish family, said to have been originally of Upton, in that county, or, according to Prince in his Worthies of Devon, named from Upton in parish of Collumpton in Devonshire." 3

Another reference postulates: "they were probably descended from Ralph Fitz-Stephen temp. Henry II, and from the arms appears to be of De la Folie of Normandy." 4

Early History of the Upson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Upson research. Another 126 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1080, 1218, 1308, 1400, 1453, 1457, 1590, 1598, 1599, 1620, 1623, 1625, 1641, 1653, 1661, 1670, 1687, 1706 and 1749 are included under the topic Early Upson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Upson Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Upton, Uppeton and others.

Early Notables of the Upson family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Nicholas Upton (1400?-1457), Precentor of Salisbury and writer on heraldry and the art of war. He is thought to have been the second son of John Upton of Portlinch, Devonshire, by his wife Elizabeth. From a collateral branch of the family, descended Arthur Upton. 5John Upton (died c.1453), was an English politician, Member of...
Another 62 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Upson Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Upson Ranking

In the United States, the name Upson is the 12,296^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Upson family to Ireland

Some of the Upson family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 136 words (10 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Upson migration to the United States +

Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Upson were

Upson Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Stephen Upson, aged 23, from Suffolk, who arrived in New England in 1635 aboard the ship "Increase" 7

Upson Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Denis A. Upson, aged 39, who immigrated to the United States, in 1893
H. S. Upson, aged 34, who immigrated to the United States from Paris, France, in 1893
A. F. Upson, aged 30, who landed in America, in 1896
Carolyne Upson, aged 18, who immigrated to the United States, in 1896
D.G. Upson, aged 12, who settled in America, in 1896

Upson Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Hilda Upson, aged 21, who immigrated to the United States from Crockley, in 1904
Henry S. Upson, aged 45, who settled in America, in 1905
Dennis A. Upson, aged 33, who landed in America, in 1905
Dr. Geo. D. Upson, aged 40, who immigrated to America, in 1906
Florence Upson, aged 6, who landed in America, in 1906
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Upson (post 1700) +

Kaari Upson (1970-2021), American artist, best known for her series titled The Larry Project – paintings, installations, performances, and films inspired by a collection of one man's personal items she found in 2003
Stephen Upson (1785-1824), American politician and lawyer, eponym of Upson County, Georgia
Ralph Hazlett Upson (1888-1968), American balloonist, winner of the 1913 International Balloon Race, recipient of the Wright Brothers Medal (1929)
Maxwell Mayhew Upson, trustee of Cornell University for 35 years
Christopher C. Upson (1829-1902), American politician, U.S. Representative from Texas
Charles Upson (1821-1885), American politician, U.S. Representative from Michigan
Arthur Upson (1877-1908), American poet
Frederick M. Upson, American politician, First Selectman of Wolcott, Connecticut, 1888 8
Evelyn M. Upson, American Republican politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Wolcott; Elected 1906 8
Daniel Upson (1786-1863), American politician, Member of Ohio State Senate, 1836-38 8
... (Another 16 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Upson Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Semper paratus
Motto Translation: Always prepared.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 17) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html