Surname Umstead - Meaning and Origin
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Umstead: What does the surname Umstead mean?
The last name Umstead is believed to originate from the Middle English "Umested", which likely derived from the Old English term "Umb-stede", meaning "The Place by the Edge". The name suggests that a person with this name is from a place surrounded by hills or near a river bend. It could also be from a place near the rim of a forest.
The Umsteads are a historic family and were among the first of English settlers to arrive in America in the 1600s. It has been suggested that the family may have descended from a member of the Umb inherently, a family of Danish noblemen.
The Umsteads were among the first to settle in the Piedmont area of North America during colonial times and were well established by the 1720s. Many of them still live in this area today, where historical markers commemorate their contributions to the area.
The Umsteads were well-known for their hardworking, honest and loyal spirit, which is still true of the Umsteads of today. They are also known for being enterprising and talented in agriculture and manufacturing. The Umsteads were among the first to settle in the then-unexplored North Carolina wilderness and they took advantage of its natural resources to create wealth and prosperity for their families.
The Umsteads are known for their pioneering spirit which has been an important factor in their success through the centuries. People with the last name Umstead have gone on to become doctors, lawyers, and entrepreneurs and have carved out an invaluable niche in the American economic landscape.
Today, the Umstead name carries with it a sense of pride and a connection to the history of the Piedmont area of North America. The strong work ethic of the Umsteads is still evident in their reputation as a hard-working and honest family.
Order DNA origin analysisUmstead: Where does the name Umstead come from?
The last name Umstead is common today mostly in the United States, though it has some presence in other countries. In the United States, the state of North Carolina has the highest number of people with the last name Umstead. In fact, over 2,000 Umsteads currently reside in North Carolina (as of 2019 data).
Other states with significant numbers of Umsteads are Texas (over 800), Virginia (over 700), and Pennsylvania (over 400). Within the US, most of the Umsteads are located in the northeast and south-central parts of the country.
Outside of the United States, Umsteads can also be found in many other parts of the world, including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, and Scotland. The largest digital database of Umsteads is Ancestry.com, which contains births, marriages, deaths, and other record entries from as far back as the 1600s.
Given its origins, the name Umstead is likely of Old English origin. It's possible that Umstead was a surname associated with a particular location and people took it on as their own, much like a patronymic.
Variations of the surname Umstead
The surname Umstead can be spelled in several different ways, including Umsted, Umstaedt, Umstatt and Umpstead. All of these variants stem from the Old English personal name Ullahamstede, which is composed of two elements, ‘Ulla’ meaning ‘Wolf’ and ‘ham’ meaning ‘home’.
The earliest recorded instance of the Umstead surname occurs in the Anglo-Saxon manuscripts from Warwickshire in A.D. 1224, using the spelling form Ulfstede. The surname continues to appear in the records of grades of nobility through the Middle Ages, primarily in Warwickshire and Yorkshire.
The earliest known record of the Umpstead spelling is the 1607 baptism of Michael Umpstead in Cambridgeshire, England. Other spellings of the name gradually appeared in the records living alongside the Umpstead line in Cambridgeshire, Midlands and beyond.
Variations of the Umstead surname also include Umstead, Umstaedt, Umpsteads, Umstatt, Umsteadd, Umstuth,Humphsted and Humphstead. Within the United States, many of the descendants of Arthur Umpstead, a Native American of the Yemassee tribe, can be found in South Carolina and North Carolina today.
All of these variants of the Umstead surname are ultimately connected to the Old English personal name Ullahamstede, and represent a history of a family that extend over the centuries.
Famous people with the name Umstead
- Kay Hagan: Former U.S. Senator (NC)
- Harry C. Umstead: Former Governor of North Carolina
- Robert Umstead: Former Secretary of Revenue for North Carolina
- Charles Umstead: Former U.S. Congressman (NC)
- Terry Umstead: Former American professional cyclist
- Joe Umstead: Former professional baseball player
- Mary Umstead: Former American tennis player
- Martin Umstead: Former American baseball player
- Carol Umstead: American painter
- Dave Umstead: Former American Olympic swimmer