Ulis
Uncommon name of unknown origin and obscure meaning.
Name Census estimates that about 43 living Americans carry the first name Ulis. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Ulis today is around 80 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ulis births was 1927 (18 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ulis. 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
- • The typical person named Ulis is about 80 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Ulis' were born before 1956.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Ulis. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
43
~ 1 in 7,971,031 Americans
Peak year
1927
18 babies that year
Average age
80
years old
1970 SSA rank
#5,392
Tracked since 1910
Census
Ulis in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 110 people with the first name Ulis, which placed it at #51,979 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#51,979
National first-name rank
People counted
110
110 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.0
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
50.0% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ulis
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Ulis is White at 50.0%. The next largest groups are Black (39.1%) and Hispanic (8.2%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Ulis 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 name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Ulis at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White50.0% · 55
- Black or African American39.1% · 43
- Hispanic or Latino8.2% · 9
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Popularity
Ulis: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ulis from the 1910s through to the 1970s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 106 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ulis 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 Ulis during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Ulis
The name Ulis is believed to have originated from ancient Germanic roots, dating back to the early medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old High German word "uolih," which means "wolf." The name was particularly popular among the tribes that inhabited the regions of modern-day Germany and Austria.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ulis appears in the Nibelungenlied, a famous German epic poem from around the 13th century. In this literary work, Ulis is mentioned as a brave warrior and companion of the legendary hero Siegfried. This early reference suggests that the name was already in use during the High Middle Ages.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Ulis. One of the earliest was Ulis von Liechtenstein (1180-1227), a prominent German nobleman and minnesinger (a medieval German lyric poet). He is renowned for his courtly love songs and his participation in the Crusades.
Another historical figure was Ulis Stechele (1368-1442), a Swiss military leader who fought in the Battle of Sempach against the Habsburgs in 1386. His bravery and leadership during this pivotal conflict earned him a place in Swiss history.
In the 15th century, Ulis Danner (1420-1489) was a renowned German painter and woodcarver from Nuremberg. His intricate works, including altarpieces and sculptures, can still be seen in various churches and museums across Germany.
Fast-forwarding to the 19th century, Ulis Bräker (1835-1919) was a Swiss politician and statesman who served as the President of the Swiss Confederation in 1897. He played a crucial role in shaping Switzerland's political landscape during his tenure.
Another notable figure was Ulis Gerholt (1876-1948), a German journalist and author who wrote extensively on social and political issues. His works provided valuable insights into the turbulent times of the early 20th century.
While the name Ulis may not be as common today as it once was, its rich historical significance and connection to various cultures and individuals make it a fascinating part of our onomastic heritage.
People
Ulis + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ulis 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
Ulis: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ulis?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 43 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ulis 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 1 in 7,971,031 US residents.
Is Ulis a common name?
We classify Ulis as "Very Rare". It ranks above 52.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 256 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ulis most popular?
The single biggest year for Ulis was 1927, when 18 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ulis is about 80 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Ulis in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 110 people with the name Ulis, or 0.04 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #51,979 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Ulis in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Ulis?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Ulis appears almost entirely male. Of the 112 people counted with this name, 99.1% were male and only a very small share were female. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Ulis?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Ulis is White at 50.0%. The next largest groups are Black (39.1%) and Hispanic (8.2%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Ulis most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Ulis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 50.0% (55 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Ulis in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ulis a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ulis 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 Ulis still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ulis 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 Ulis 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.
How many Americans are named Ulis?
See how many Americans are named Ulis on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.