Ulmer
A German masculine name derived from the city of Ulm.
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Ulmer. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Ulmer today is around 91 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ulmer births was 1923 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ulmer. 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 Ulmer is about 91 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Ulmers were born before 1945.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Ulmer. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1923
9 babies that year
Average age
91
years old
1935 SSA rank
#2,927
Tracked since 1911
Popularity
Ulmer: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ulmer from the 1910s through to the 1930s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 37 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1920s peak, Ulmer remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ulmer 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 Ulmer 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 Ulmer
The name Ulmer has its origins in the German language and culture, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to be a locational surname, derived from the town of Ulm in southern Germany, which lies on the banks of the Danube River. The name itself likely evolved from the Old High German word "Ulmari," meaning "someone from Ulm."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ulmer can be found in the Codex Traditionum Ecclesiae Ravennatensis, a 10th-century manuscript that documented land grants and transactions in the region around Ulm. This historical record suggests that the name was already in use as a surname during this time period.
In the realm of religious history, there is a mention of an Ulmer monk named Hermann in the 12th century. He was a member of the Benedictine order and served as the abbot of the monastery in Reichenau, an island on Lake Constance.
As the name spread beyond its original geographic region, several notable individuals bore the name Ulmer throughout history. One such figure was Johann Konrad Ulmer (1519-1600), a Swiss theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. He was a close associate of Huldrych Zwingli and helped establish the Reformed Church in Zurich.
Another prominent Ulmer was Johann Rudolph Ulrich (1728-1795), a German writer and philosopher who was a leading figure in the Enlightenment movement. His works explored themes of ethics, aesthetics, and the philosophy of education, and he was highly regarded in intellectual circles of his time.
In the field of art, the name Ulmer is associated with Hans Ulmer (c. 1470-1522), a German Renaissance painter and woodcarver from Ulm. He is known for his intricate altarpieces and wooden sculptures, which showcased the transition from the Gothic to the Renaissance style.
Moving into the 19th century, Wilhelm Ulmer (1825-1900) was a German politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Reichstag, the Parliament of the German Empire. He was a vocal advocate for workers' rights and played a role in the development of social welfare policies in Germany.
These examples demonstrate the rich history and diverse backgrounds of individuals who have borne the name Ulmer throughout the centuries, spanning various fields and regions, but all tracing their name's origins to the town of Ulm in southern Germany.
People
Ulmer + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ulmer 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
Ulmer: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ulmer?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ulmer 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Ulmer a common name?
We classify Ulmer as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 88 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ulmer most popular?
The single biggest year for Ulmer was 1923, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ulmer is about 91 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Ulmer a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ulmer 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.
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.