Contents [hide]

Upton History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Upton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The proud Upton family originated in Cornwall, a rugged coastal region in southwestern England. In early times, people were known by only a single name. However, as the population grew and people traveled further afield, it became increasingly necessary to assume an additional name to differentiate between bearers of the same personal name. The manner in which hereditary surnames arose is interesting. Local surnames are derived from where the original bearer lived, was born, or held land. The Upton family originally 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 Upton family

The surname Upton 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 Upton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Upton 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 Upton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Upton 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 Upton 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...
John Upton (died c.1453), was an English politician, Member of Parliament for Warwick
John Upton (1590-1641), of Lupton in Devon was four times elected MP for Dartmouth at various times between 1625 and 1641. John Upton, 1st Viscount Templetown, was Member of Parliament for Bury St Edm...
James Upton (1670-1749), was an English schoolmaster, born at Winslow, Cheshire, on 10 Dec. 1670

Upton Ranking

In the United States, the name Upton is the 2,371^st most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 5 However, in the United Kingdom, the name Upton is ranked the 881^st most popular surname with an estimated 7,764 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Upton family to Ireland

Some of the Upton 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.

Upton migration to the United States +

A look at the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Upton:

Upton Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Mr. George Upton, aged 26, who arrived in Virginia in 1622 aboard the ship "Bona Nova" 7
John Upton, who settled in Virginia in 1623
John Upton (1625-1699), who arrived in Massachusetts in 1652 8
Dorothy Upton, who arrived in Virginia in 1654 8
Peter Upton, who landed in Virginia in 1664 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Upton Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Martha Upton, who settled in Virginia in 1700
Margaret Upton, who landed in Virginia in 1703 8
Elizabeth Upton and her husband settled in Carolina in 1724
Thomas Upton, who arrived in Georgia in 1737 8
Henry Upton, who landed in Virginia in 1747 8

Upton Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Eliza Mary Upton, who landed in New York in 1817 8
Ann Caroline Upton, who arrived in New York in 1817 8
Francis Dundas Upton, who landed in New York in 1817 8
James Upton, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 8
J Upton, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Upton migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Upton Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

William Upton, who landed in Canada in 1832

Upton migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Upton Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Joseph Upton, English convict who was convicted in Derby, Derbyshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Asiatic" on 5th June 1819, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 9
Mr. Henry Upton, (b. 1769), aged 50, English blacksmith who was convicted in Devon, England for life for stealing, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 27th October 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1827 10
Mr. Robert Upton, British convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Competitor"18th March 1823, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 11
Mr. Thomas Upton, English convict who was convicted in Sussex, England for 15 years, transported aboard the "Canton" on 20th September 1839, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 12
Mr. Michael Upton, British Convict who was convicted in Kent, England for 15 years, transported aboard the "Asia" on 25th April 1840, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 13
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Upton migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Upton Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Alfred Upton, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Evening Star" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand in 1858 14
Mr. Bertram Upton, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Evening Star" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand in 1858 14
Mr. William Brown Upton, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Evening Star" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand in 1858 14
Miss Elizabeth Upton, (b. 1831), aged 28, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Roman Emperor" arriving in Lyttlelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 26th January 1860 15
Mrs. Jane Upton, (b. 1837), aged 26, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Lancashire Witch" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 13th October 1863 14
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Upton (post 1700) +

Robert William Upton (1884-1972), American politician, United States Senator from New Hampshire (1953-1954)
Lee Upton (b. 1953), American poet, fiction writer and literary critic
Justin Irvin Upton (b. 1987), American Major League Baseball outfielder for the San Diego Padres
Emory Upton (1839-1881), United States Army General and military strategist
Charles W. Upton (b. 1943), American economist
Charles Horace Upton (1812-1877), American politician, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia (1861-1862)
Charles Upton (b. 1948), American poet and metaphysician
Lauren Caitlin "Caite" Upton (b. 1989), American fashion model, and beauty queen, Miss South Carolina Teen USA (2007)
Ensign Frank Monroe Upton (1896-1962), American sailor in the United States Navy who received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the First World War
Katherine Elizabeth "Kate" Upton (b. 1992), American model and actress, known for her appearances in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue
... (Another 15 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Upton family +

HMS Hood

Mr. Roy R Upton (b. 1923), English Ordinary Telegraphist serving for the Royal Navy from Fareham, Hampshire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 16

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. William Upton, British Able Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking, was listed as missing in action 1942 17

HMS Repulse

Mr. Albert Edward Upton, British Leading Stoker, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 18

The Upton 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)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/competitor
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/canton
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th January 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1840
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html