Explore the Family Name Guppy

The meaning of Guppy

English (Dorset and Somerset): habitational name from a place so called in Wootton Fitzpaine, Dorset, recorded as Gupehegh in Middle English. This is named with the Old English personal name Guppa (a short form of Gūthbeorht ‘battle bright’) + (ge)hæg ‘enclosure’. History: The earliest known bearer of the name is Nicholas de Gupehegh (Somerset, 1253/4). Most, if not all, present-day bearers of the name are thought to descend from William Guppy of Chardstock, Devon, who in 1497 was fined forty shillings for his alleged part in the rebellion of Perkin Warbeck.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Guppy in the United States?

The popularity of the surname Guppy, based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, appears to have slightly declined between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, the surname ranked 58,397 in popularity and was held by approximately 325 people. However, by 2010, the surname dropped in rank to 62,714, with an approximate count of 319 individuals bearing the name Guppy. This represents a 1.85% decrease in the number of people with this surname and a 7.39% drop in rank over this decade.

20002010Change
Rank#58,397#62,714-7.39%
Count325319-1.85%
Proportion per 100k0.120.11-8.33%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Guppy

When it comes to the ethnicity associated with the Guppy surname, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data, there were some changes between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, a significant majority (82.77%) of people with this surname identified as White, which increased to 84.01% by 2010. The percentage of those identifying as Black also slightly increased from 8.62% in 2000 to 8.78% in 2010. The proportion of individuals with the surname Guppy who identified as Hispanic saw a small increase from 2.46% to 2.51%. However, there was a notable decrease in those identifying with two or more races, from 4.31% in 2000 to 2.19% in 2010. Those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander decreased to zero from 1.85%. There were no individuals who identified as American Indian and Alaskan Native in either year.

20002010Change
White82.77%84.01%1.5%
Black8.62%8.78%1.86%
Hispanic2.46%2.51%2.03%
Two or More Races4.31%2.19%-49.19%
Asian/Pacific Islander1.85%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%