2000
#25,242
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 921
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.34
Rare Last name
Uhlman
A surname derived from the German word "Uhlmann" meaning a builder or maker of wheels.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,074 Americans carry the last name Uhlman. That puts it at #27,268 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.31 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 319,138 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Uhlman 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
1.1K
1 in 319,138
Census rank
#27,268
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
937
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 937 bearers of the surname Uhlman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.31 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 27268th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Uhlman, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Uhlman
The surname Uhlman has its origins in Germany, with records indicating its use dating back to the 16th century. The name likely derives from the German word "Uhle," which means "owl." This suggests that the original bearers of the name may have been associated with owl-related activities, such as hunting or trading in the birds or their feathers.
In the early days, the name was often spelled as "Uhleman" or "Uhllman," reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions. The earliest recorded instance of the name can be found in the Kirchenbücher (church records) of various German regions, particularly in the areas around Saxony and Bavaria.
One notable historical figure bearing the Uhlman surname was Johann Uhlman, a German theologian and philosopher born in 1592 in Naumburg. He was widely respected for his contributions to the fields of ethics and metaphysics, and his works were widely read across Europe during the 17th century.
Another individual of note was Karl Uhlman, a German-born American businessman and philanthropist (1837-1915). He made his fortune in the tobacco industry and was known for his philanthropic efforts, establishing the Uhlman Charitable Trust, which supported educational institutions and various social causes.
In the 19th century, Johann Wilhelm Uhlman (1825-1901), a German painter and lithographer, gained recognition for his detailed landscapes and portraiture. His works are preserved in several museums across Germany and are considered an important part of the country's artistic heritage.
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Uhlman surname became more widespread as German immigrants settled in various parts of the United States. One such individual was Frederick Uhlman (1901-1985), a German-born American author best known for his novel "Reunion," which explored themes of friendship, memory, and the impact of World War II.
Another noteworthy figure was Max Uhlman (1890-1954), a German-born American physical chemist and professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He made significant contributions to the understanding of chemical thermodynamics and was recognized for his research on the behavior of gases and liquids at high pressures.
While the surname Uhlman may have originated from a humble association with owls, it has since been carried by individuals who have made their mark across various fields, from academia and the arts to business and philanthropy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Uhlman
Among Census respondents with the surname Uhlman, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Uhlman 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 Uhlman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.2% · 873
- Two or more races3.5% · 33
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 16
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 7
- Black or African American0.4% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Uhlman
Uhlman 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
#25,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 944
+23 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.32
Rank movement Down 747 places
2020
#27,268
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 937
-7 bearers (-0.7%)
Per 100,000 0.31
Rank movement Down 1,279 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #25,242 | 921 | 0.34 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #25,989 | 944 | 0.32 | +23 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 747 places |
| 2020 | #27,268 | 937 | 0.31 | -7 bearers (-0.7%) | Down 1,279 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 Uhlman 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 | #25,989 | #27,268 | -4.9% |
| Count | 944 | 937 | -0.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.32 | 0.31 | -2.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Uhlman bearers went from 944 to 937 (-0.7% change). The surname moved down 1,279 positions in the national ranking, going from #25,989 to #27,268.
FAQ
Uhlman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Uhlman?
Name Census estimates that about 1,074 living Americans carry the surname Uhlman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 319,138 residents.
How common is Uhlman?
Uhlman ranks #27,268 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.31 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 937 people with the surname Uhlman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,074), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.31 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.31 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 Uhlman.
Has Uhlman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Uhlman went from 944 recorded bearers to 937. That is a decrease of 7 (-0.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #25,989 to #27,268.
What does the Census say about the background of Uhlman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Uhlman, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Uhlman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (873 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Uhlman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.2%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Uhlman (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 Uhlman mean?
A surname derived from the German word "Uhlmann" meaning a builder or maker of wheels. 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 Uhlman (0.31 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 are called Uhlman?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Uhlman at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.