2000
#16,489
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,605
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.59
Rare Last name
Uhler
A surname of German origin meaning "owl."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,854 Americans carry the last name Uhler. That puts it at #17,149 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.54 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 184,873 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Uhler 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
1.9K
1 in 184,873
Census rank
#17,149
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,617 bearers of the surname Uhler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.54 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 17149th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Uhler, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Uhler
The surname Uhler originated in Germany, with its earliest known records dating back to the late 15th century. It is believed to be derived from the German word "Uhl," which means "owl." This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a descriptive nickname or occupation name for someone who worked with owls or was associated with these birds in some way.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Uhler can be found in the 16th century German records of the city of Nuremberg. In 1543, a man named Hans Uhler was listed as a resident of the city. This entry provides evidence of the name's existence and usage during that time period.
In the 17th century, the name Uhler appeared in various historical documents across different regions of Germany. For example, in 1612, a man named Johann Uhler was recorded as a landowner in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a well-preserved medieval town in Bavaria.
As people migrated from Germany to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas, the name Uhler spread to new territories. One notable individual with this surname was Philip R. Uhler, an American entomologist and naturalist born in 1835 in Maryland, United States. He made significant contributions to the study of insects and invertebrates, and several species were named after him in recognition of his work.
Another noteworthy figure with the surname Uhler was John Uhler, a German-American businessman and politician who served as the Mayor of Baltimore, Maryland, from 1888 to 1892. He was born in 1833 and played a prominent role in the city's development during the late 19th century.
In the 20th century, a prominent figure with the surname Uhler was Lewis Uhler, an American politician and activist who was born in 1834 in Pennsylvania. He was actively involved in the anti-slavery movement and later served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1889 to 1891.
While the surname Uhler is not among the most common names globally, it has a rich history and can be traced back to its German origins. The name has been carried by individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields, including science, business, and politics, across different time periods and geographical locations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Uhler
Among Census respondents with the surname Uhler, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Uhler 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 Uhler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.4% · 1,478
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 69
- Two or more races3.1% · 50
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 12
- Black or African American0.3% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Uhler
Uhler 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
#17,331
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,631
+26 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.55
Rank movement Down 842 places
2020
#17,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,617
-14 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.54
Rank movement Up 182 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,489 | 1,605 | 0.59 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #17,331 | 1,631 | 0.55 | +26 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 842 places |
| 2020 | #17,149 | 1,617 | 0.54 | -14 bearers (-0.9%) | Up 182 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 Uhler 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 | #17,331 | #17,149 | 1.1% |
| Count | 1,631 | 1,617 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.55 | 0.54 | -1.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Uhler bearers went from 1,631 to 1,617 (-0.9% change). The surname moved up 182 positions in the national ranking, going from #17,331 to #17,149.
FAQ
Uhler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Uhler?
Name Census estimates that about 1,854 living Americans carry the surname Uhler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 184,873 residents.
How common is Uhler?
Uhler ranks #17,149 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.54 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,617 people with the surname Uhler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,854), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.54 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.54 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Uhler.
Has Uhler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Uhler went from 1,631 recorded bearers to 1,617. That is a decrease of 14 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #17,331 to #17,149.
What does the Census say about the background of Uhler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Uhler, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Uhler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (1,478 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Uhler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.4%), Hispanic (4.3%), Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Uhler (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 Uhler mean?
A surname of German origin meaning "owl." 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 Uhler (0.54 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 Uhler?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.