Upton

♂ Boy

Pronounced UP-tun /ˈʌptən/Medium

Meaning: Upton is an English surname and place-name from the Old English upp, 'up, higher,' and tun, 'enclosure, farmstead, town,' meaning 'the upper settlement.' Many English villages bear the name, and it passed into use as a given name in the surname-name tradition.Medium

In 30 seconds: Upton is an English surname and place-name meaning 'the upper farmstead.' A vintage given name, it stayed rare and peaked around 1920 (said UP-tun).

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Origin MediumEnglish

MeaningUpton is an English surname and place-name from the Old English upp, 'up, higher,' and tun, 'enclosure, farmstead, town,' meaning 'the upper settlement.' Many English villages bear the name, and it passed into use as a given name in the surname-name tradition.

U.S. rank (2022)#14168 ↘ Falling

2022 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year1920

Total births (all-time)≈ 168

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Upton comes from the Old English upp and tun, 'the upper farmstead or town,' a name carried by many English villages and then by families from them. As a given name it belongs to the surname-name tradition, used quietly in the early twentieth century. Its best-known bearer keeps it recognizable more than a century on.

It was always rare as a first name, given to only about sixteen boys a year at its peak around 1920, and stayed a quiet choice. A boy named Upton then would be a great-grandfather today.

Did you know? Upton is firmly tied to the American writer Upton Sinclair, whose novel The Jungle helped drive early food-safety laws, giving this plain place-name a strong literary anchor.

Overall data confidence 48%

References - Upton — Old English upp + tun, 'upper farmstead'; surname/place-name; bearer Upton Sinclair

Variations

UpptonUptenUptton

Nicknames

UpTony

Famous Bearers

★Upton Sinclair (1878-1968)
American author of The Jungle and a noted social reformer

If you like Upton…

Ashton— a like -ton English surname name

Hampton— a similar place-name turned first name

Weston— a like directional -ton name

Alton— a similar vintage -ton boy's name

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Upton mean?

It is an English surname and place-name from Old English upp and tun, 'the upper farmstead or town.'

How do you pronounce Upton?

It is said UP-tun /ˈʌptən/, two syllables with the stress on the first.

Is Upton a boy or girl name?

Upton is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Upton?

It was always rare, given to only about sixteen boys a year at its peak in the nineteen-twenties.