Uhl
A masculine Germanic name derived from the old German "uohal" meaning "owl".
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Uhl. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Uhl today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Uhl births was 1921 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Uhl. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Uhl. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1921
6 babies that year
Average age
-
1921 SSA rank
#4,287
Tracked since 1921
Popularity
Uhl: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Uhl by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Uhl during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Uhl
The name Uhl finds its origins in ancient Germanic languages, with roots dating back to the early medieval period. Linguists trace the name's etymology to the Proto-Germanic word "ūlaz," which referred to the Eurasian eagle owl, a bird revered for its strength, wisdom, and association with the night.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Uhl appears in the Codex Sangallensis, a 9th-century manuscript containing Old High German glosses and texts. Here, the name is spelled "Uolo," which later evolved into the modern German form, "Uhl." This early usage suggests the name was already in circulation among Germanic tribes during the Carolingian era.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Uhl appeared sporadically in various chronicles and records across Central Europe. One notable bearer was Uhl von Havelberg, a 12th-century German nobleman and military commander who fought in the Wendish Crusade against the Polabian Slavs.
In the Renaissance period, the name gained prominence in religious circles. Uhl Schmid, a 16th-century Swiss Protestant reformer and pastor, played a significant role in the spread of the Reformation in the canton of Zürich. Meanwhile, Uhl Bräker, a 17th-century German theologian and scholar, contributed to the field of biblical exegesis with his commentaries on the Old Testament.
The 19th century saw the emergence of several influential figures bearing the name Uhl. Uhl Kasimir Baßler, born in 1805, was a German painter and lithographer known for his landscapes and architectural drawings. Uhl August Rosenhain, born in 1834, was a German mathematician and physicist who made important contributions to the study of crystallography and elasticity theory.
One of the most celebrated bearers of the name Uhl was Uhl Max Prinz von Baden, born in 1867, a German prince and diplomat who played a pivotal role in the negotiations that led to the end of World War I. His efforts as the last Chancellor of the German Empire paved the way for the establishment of the Weimar Republic.
People
Uhl + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Uhl as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with U
Other first names starting with U with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Uhl: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Uhl?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Uhl going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about - US residents.
Is Uhl a common name?
We classify Uhl as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Uhl most popular?
The single biggest year for Uhl was 1921, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Uhl is about 0 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Uhl in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Uhl a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Uhl in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Uhl still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Uhl in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Uhl can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Uhl?
Want to know how many Americans are named Uhl? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.