Explore the Family Name Updegraff
The meaning of Updegraff
Americanized form of Dutch Op de Graef or Op den Graef: topographic name for someone who lived by a channel or watercourse, from Dutch op ‘beside’ + de ‘the’ + graf (Middle Dutch grave) ‘stream, channel, watercourse’. The surname Op de(n) Graef, which was brought to the US from Germany, is no longer found in the Netherlands or Germany. Compare Updegrove, Uptegrove, and Upthegrove. History: Two brothers, Derick and Abraham Updegraff (their surnames are recorded in various forms), were among the thirteen German families from Krefeld who in 1683 founded the first German-speaking settlement on American soil, Germantown, PA, near Philadelphia. Their forebears had emigrated to Germany from the Netherlands two generations before.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Updegraff in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Updegraff has seen a minor decrease in rank from 2000 to 2010, moving from 18,153 to 19,166, a change of -5.58. However, the count of individuals with this surname slightly increased by 0.21, from 1,414 to 1,417 over the same period. The proportion per 100k also dropped by -7.69, from 0.52 to 0.48, indicating a slight decrease in its overall prevalence.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #18,153 | #19,166 | -5.58% |
| Count | 1,414 | 1,417 | 0.21% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.52 | 0.48 | -7.69% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Updegraff
In terms of ethnicity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows that those bearing the surname Updegraff are primarily of White ethnic identity, accounting for 97.60% in 2000 and 97.25% in 2010, a marginal decrease of -0.36. The Hispanic representation within this surname increased by 49.49, from 0.99 to 1.48 through the decade. Notably, the census data of 2010 recorded individuals with the Updegraff surname identifying with two or more races for the first time at 0.49%. There were no recorded instances of Updegraff's associated with Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, or American Indian and Alaskan Native ethnicities either in 2000 or 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 97.6% | 97.25% | -0.36% |
| Hispanic | 0.99% | 1.48% | 49.49% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 0.49% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.57% | 0% | 0% |