2000
#50,572
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 388
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.14
Very Rare Last name
Ulch
An Anglicized form of the German word "Ulrich", meaning wealthy ruler or landowner.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 490 Americans carry the last name Ulch. That puts it at #52,477 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 699,499 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ulch surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
490
1 in 699,499
Census rank
#52,477
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
427
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 427 bearers of the surname Ulch in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 52477th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ulch, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ulch
The surname ULCH is believed to have originated in Germany, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Old Germanic word "ulch," which referred to a type of owl or a nocturnal bird. This suggests that the name may have initially been bestowed upon someone who was associated with owls or possessed certain characteristics reminiscent of these nocturnal creatures.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name ULCH can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of medieval documents from the region of Saxony. In this compilation, dated around the 12th century, there is a reference to a person named "Ulchus" who was a landowner in the area.
Another notable mention of the ULCH name appears in the Annales Rodenses, a chronicle of events from the abbey of Rode in present-day Belgium. This historical record, written in the 13th century, mentions a nobleman named "Ulricus de Ulch" who was involved in local affairs and disputes.
In the 14th century, there are records of a prominent merchant and guild member named Hans ULCH who resided in the city of Nuremberg. His name appears in various trade documents and guild records from that era.
During the Renaissance period, a scholar and philosopher named Johannes ULCH lived in the city of Erfurt. Born in 1472, he was known for his writings on metaphysics and his contributions to the intellectual discourse of the time.
Fast-forwarding to the 18th century, a notable figure bearing the ULCH surname was Friedrich Wilhelm ULCH, a celebrated composer and musician born in Dresden in 1720. His works, which included operas and symphonies, were widely performed and acclaimed during his lifetime.
Throughout history, the ULCH name has also been associated with various place names and locations. For example, there is a village called Ulchen in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, which may have derived its name from the ULCH surname or vice versa.
Overall, the surname ULCH has a rich and fascinating history, with roots stretching back to medieval Germany and connections to various notable individuals, professions, and locations over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ulch
Among Census respondents with the surname Ulch, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Ulch bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Ulch surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 393
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 12
- Two or more races2.8% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 6
- Black or African American0.7% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ulch
Ulch appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#46,647
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 456
+68 bearers (+17.5%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Up 3,925 places
2020
#52,477
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 427
-29 bearers (-6.4%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Down 5,830 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #50,572 | 388 | 0.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #46,647 | 456 | 0.15 | +68 bearers (+17.5%) | Up 3,925 places |
| 2020 | #52,477 | 427 | 0.14 | -29 bearers (-6.4%) | Down 5,830 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Ulch surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #46,647 | #52,477 | -12.5% |
| Count | 456 | 427 | -6.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.15 | 0.14 | -4.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ulch bearers went from 456 to 427 (-6.4% change). The surname moved down 5,830 positions in the national ranking, going from #46,647 to #52,477.
FAQ
Ulch surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ulch?
Name Census estimates that about 490 living Americans carry the surname Ulch. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 699,499 residents.
How common is Ulch?
Ulch ranks #52,477 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.14 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 427 people with the surname Ulch. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (490), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.14 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Ulch.
Has Ulch become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ulch went from 456 recorded bearers to 427. That is a decrease of 29 (-6.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #46,647 to #52,477.
What does the Census say about the background of Ulch?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ulch, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ulch in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (393 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ulch appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Hispanic (2.8%), Two or More Races (2.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Ulch (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Ulch mean?
An Anglicized form of the German word "Ulrich", meaning wealthy ruler or landowner. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Ulch (0.14 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Ulch?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.