2000
#78,549
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 226
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Ulan
An abbreviated form of the Turkish word "oğlan," meaning youth or servant.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 237 Americans carry the last name Ulan. That puts it at #94,713 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,446,221 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ulan 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
237
1 in 1,446,221
Census rank
#94,713
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
207
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 207 bearers of the surname Ulan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 94713th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ulan, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (19.8%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ulan
The surname ULAN has its origins in the Slavic regions of Eastern Europe, particularly in areas that are now part of modern-day Poland and Ukraine. The name is thought to have derived from the Old Slavic word "ulany," which referred to light cavalry regiments known for their speed and agility.
ULAN is believed to have first emerged as a surname during the medieval period, when soldiers and warriors often adopted names related to their military roles or units. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in a 14th-century Polish military chronicle, which mentions a soldier named Jan Ulan.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, the ULAN surname gained prominence in various regions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, where it was associated with noble families and military leaders. Notable individuals from this period include Stanisław Ulan (1550-1621), a Polish nobleman and military commander who fought in the Livonian War, and Michał Ulan (1620-1689), a renowned cavalry officer in the Polish-Lithuanian army.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the ULAN surname spread across Eastern and Central Europe, including areas under the influence of the Russian Empire. One prominent figure from this era was Pyotr Ulan (1770-1845), a Russian general who served in the Napoleonic Wars and the Russo-Turkish Wars.
In the 20th century, the ULAN surname continued to be associated with military service, particularly in the Polish and Ukrainian armed forces. Kazimierz Ulan (1900-1982) was a decorated Polish cavalry officer who fought in World War II, while Ihor Ulan (1920-2005) was a Ukrainian-born soldier who served in the Soviet Red Army during World War II and later became a prominent dissident.
Another notable individual with the ULAN surname was Józef Ulan (1891-1975), a Polish painter and graphic artist who was known for his landscapes and portraits. His works are housed in various museums and galleries throughout Poland.
While the ULAN surname is most commonly found in Poland, Ukraine, and other Slavic countries, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and intermarriage. Variants of the name, such as Ullan and Ulanen, can be found in various regions, reflecting the diverse paths taken by those bearing this historically significant surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ulan
Among Census respondents with the surname Ulan, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (19.8%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Ulan 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 Ulan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.4% · 156
- Asian and Pacific Islander19.8% · 41
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 6
- Two or more races1.9% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ulan
Ulan 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
#77,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 246
+20 bearers (+8.8%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Up 761 places
2020
#94,713
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 207
-39 bearers (-15.9%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 16,925 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #78,549 | 226 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #77,788 | 246 | 0.08 | +20 bearers (+8.8%) | Up 761 places |
| 2020 | #94,713 | 207 | 0.07 | -39 bearers (-15.9%) | Down 16,925 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 Ulan 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 | #77,788 | #94,713 | -21.8% |
| Count | 246 | 207 | -15.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.07 | -13.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ulan bearers went from 246 to 207 (-15.9% change). The surname moved down 16,925 positions in the national ranking, going from #77,788 to #94,713.
FAQ
Ulan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ulan?
Name Census estimates that about 237 living Americans carry the surname Ulan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,446,221 residents.
How common is Ulan?
Ulan ranks #94,713 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 207 people with the surname Ulan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (237), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Ulan.
Has Ulan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ulan went from 246 recorded bearers to 207. That is a decrease of 39 (-15.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #77,788 to #94,713.
What does the Census say about the background of Ulan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ulan, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (19.8%) and Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Ulan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.4% (156 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ulan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (19.8%), Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Ulan (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 Ulan mean?
An abbreviated form of the Turkish word "oğlan," meaning youth or servant. 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 Ulan (0.07 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 Americans have the surname Ulan?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.