2000
#54,020
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 358
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.13
Very Rare Last name
Urlacher
A German surname derived from the farming occupation of plowing fields.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 490 Americans carry the last name Urlacher. 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 Urlacher 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 Urlacher 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 Urlacher, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Urlacher
The surname URLACHER is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the 16th century in the regions of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. It is derived from the Old German word "urlâhhari," which means "messenger" or "courier." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to individuals who worked as messengers or traveled frequently as part of their occupation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the parish records of the town of Ehingen in Baden-Württemberg, where a certain Ulrich Urlacher was mentioned in 1587. Other variations of the spelling, such as "Urlecher" and "Urlicher," were also present in historical documents from the same region during this time period.
In the late 17th century, the name appears to have spread to other parts of Germany, with records showing individuals bearing the surname in cities like Hamburg and Berlin. This migration may have been influenced by the economic opportunities and social changes brought about by the Industrial Revolution.
One notable figure in history with the URLACHER name was Johann Urlacher, a German philosopher and theologian who lived from 1647 to 1715. He was born in Nuremberg and is known for his work on ethics and moral philosophy, contributing to the intellectual discourse of his time.
Another individual of historical significance was Karl Urlacher, a German military officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars. He was born in 1782 in Baden-Württemberg and participated in several major campaigns, rising to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel before his death in 1846.
In the 19th century, the URLACHER name found its way to other parts of Europe and even across the Atlantic to the United States. One of the earliest recorded instances of an Urlacher in America was Johann Urlacher, who immigrated from Germany to Pennsylvania in 1832.
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, several notable individuals with the URLACHER surname made their mark in various fields. These include:
1. Friedrich Urlacher (1868-1943), a German architect known for his work on public buildings and churches in Bavaria.
2. Hans Urlacher (1892-1968), a Swiss painter and artist whose works were influenced by the expressionist and abstract movements.
3. Emilie Urlacher (1879-1951), a French writer and poet who published several collections of poetry and was active in literary circles in Paris.
4. Otto Urlacher (1903-1987), a German engineer who made significant contributions to the development of early automotive technology and worked for companies like Daimler-Benz.
5. Wilhelm Urlacher (1917-2002), a German soldier who served in the Wehrmacht during World War II and later became a respected historian, writing several books on military history and strategy.
While the URLACHER surname may not be as widely known as some others, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and has been borne by individuals who have left their mark in various fields, from philosophy and literature to architecture and military service.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Urlacher
Among Census respondents with the surname Urlacher, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Urlacher 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 Urlacher surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.1% · 406
- Two or more races2.8% · 12
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Urlacher
Urlacher 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
#50,196
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 417
+59 bearers (+16.5%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Up 3,824 places
2020
#52,477
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 427
+10 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Down 2,281 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #54,020 | 358 | 0.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #50,196 | 417 | 0.14 | +59 bearers (+16.5%) | Up 3,824 places |
| 2020 | #52,477 | 427 | 0.14 | +10 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 2,281 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 Urlacher 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 | #50,196 | #52,477 | -4.5% |
| Count | 417 | 427 | 2.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.14 | 0.14 | 2.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Urlacher bearers went from 417 to 427 (+2.4% change). The surname moved down 2,281 positions in the national ranking, going from #50,196 to #52,477.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Urlacher
FAQ
Urlacher surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Urlacher?
Name Census estimates that about 490 living Americans carry the surname Urlacher. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 699,499 residents.
How common is Urlacher?
Urlacher 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 Urlacher. 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 Urlacher.
Has Urlacher become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Urlacher went from 417 recorded bearers to 427. That is an increase of 10 (+2.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #50,196 to #52,477.
What does the Census say about the background of Urlacher?
Among Census respondents with the surname Urlacher, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Urlacher in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.1% (406 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Urlacher appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.1%), Two or More Races (2.8%), Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Urlacher (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 Urlacher mean?
A German surname derived from the farming occupation of plowing fields. 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 Urlacher (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 Urlacher?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.