2000
#18,634
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,363
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.51
Rare Last name
Uber
A German surname derived from the medieval word meaning "over" or "above."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,576 Americans carry the last name Uber. That puts it at #19,637 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.46 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 217,484 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Uber 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
1.6K
1 in 217,484
Census rank
#19,637
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,374 bearers of the surname Uber in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.46 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 19637th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Uber, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Uber
The surname UBER is of German origin, with its roots traced back to the 14th century in the region of Bavaria. It is believed to have derived from the Old High German word "ubari," which means "above" or "superior." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived at a higher elevation or held a position of authority.
In its earliest recorded instances, the name appeared in various forms, such as Uber, Ueber, and Uebel. These variations were likely due to regional dialects and spelling conventions of the time. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Salzburg Codex, a compilation of legal documents from the 14th century, where a certain "Johannes Uber" is mentioned.
The name UBER has been present throughout German history, with notable individuals bearing this surname. One such figure was Johann Uber (1688-1744), a Bavarian theologian and philosopher who made significant contributions to the field of Lutheran theology. Another prominent bearer of the name was Wilhelm Uber (1806-1879), a German landscape painter known for his depictions of the Black Forest region.
Moving into the 19th century, we find Carl Uber (1836-1906), a German-American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Uber Furniture Company in Pennsylvania. His son, Frederick Uber (1865-1948), later took over the family business and expanded its operations.
In the 20th century, the name UBER gained further recognition with the likes of Peter Uber (1920-1998), a renowned German-American physicist who made significant contributions to the field of nuclear physics and particle accelerators.
Throughout its history, the UBER surname has been closely associated with German culture and traditions, reflecting the influence of its geographic origins. While the name may have evolved in spelling and pronunciation over time, its essence remains deeply rooted in the rich tapestry of German heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Uber
Among Census respondents with the surname Uber, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Uber 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 Uber surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 1,276
- Two or more races3.5% · 48
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 32
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 7
- Black or African American0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Uber
Uber 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
#20,421
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,301
-62 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.44
Rank movement Down 1,787 places
2020
#19,637
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,374
+73 bearers (+5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.46
Rank movement Up 784 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #18,634 | 1,363 | 0.51 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #20,421 | 1,301 | 0.44 | -62 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 1,787 places |
| 2020 | #19,637 | 1,374 | 0.46 | +73 bearers (+5.6%) | Up 784 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 Uber 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 | #20,421 | #19,637 | 3.8% |
| Count | 1,301 | 1,374 | 5.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.44 | 0.46 | 4.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Uber bearers went from 1,301 to 1,374 (+5.6% change). The surname moved up 784 positions in the national ranking, going from #20,421 to #19,637.
FAQ
Uber surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Uber?
Name Census estimates that about 1,576 living Americans carry the surname Uber. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 217,484 residents.
How common is Uber?
Uber ranks #19,637 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.46 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 1,374 people with the surname Uber. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,576), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.46 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.46 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 Uber.
Has Uber become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Uber went from 1,301 recorded bearers to 1,374. That is an increase of 73 (+5.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #20,421 to #19,637.
What does the Census say about the background of Uber?
Among Census respondents with the surname Uber, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.3%). 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 Uber in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (1,276 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Uber appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Hispanic (2.3%). 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 Uber (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 Uber mean?
A German surname derived from the medieval word meaning "over" or "above." 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 Uber (0.46 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 people share the surname Uber?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.