2000
#16,673
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,581
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.59
Rare Last name
Ulery
Of Low German origin, a topographic surname referring to someone living in a meadow or clearing.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,906 Americans carry the last name Ulery. That puts it at #16,732 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.56 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 179,829 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ulery 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 179,829
Census rank
#16,732
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,662 bearers of the surname Ulery in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.56 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 16732nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ulery, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ulery
The surname Ulery is believed to have originated in Germany during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the old German word "Ulrich", which means "prosperous ruler". The name was likely first used as a personal name before evolving into a hereditary surname.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Ulery surname can be found in the Bavarian town records from the 14th century, where it was spelled "Ulrici". This spelling variation hints at the name's connection to the personal name Ulrich.
Over time, as the Ulery family spread across different regions of Germany and beyond, the spelling evolved to its current form. Other historical spellings included Uhlrich, Uhlery, and Uhlry.
In the 16th century, there are records of an Ulery family residing in the town of Bamberg, in present-day Bavaria, Germany. One notable member of this family was Johann Ulery (1520-1589), a prominent merchant and landowner.
As the Ulery surname spread throughout Europe, it made its way to the British Isles, where it was anglicized to various spellings such as Ullery and Ulerey. In the 17th century, there are records of an Ulery family in the English county of Derbyshire.
Another notable figure was Hans Ulery (1648-1712), a German-born military officer who served in the French army during the reign of King Louis XIV. He was known for his bravery and leadership in various campaigns.
In the 18th century, the Ulery name can be found in the records of the American colonies, as German and English immigrants brought the surname to the New World. One such individual was Jacob Ulery (1732-1806), a farmer who settled in Pennsylvania.
As the name spread across Europe and eventually to the Americas, it continued to evolve with various spelling variations, including Ulry, Ulrey, and Uhlry. However, the core meaning and origins of the name remained rooted in the old German word "Ulrich".
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ulery
Among Census respondents with the surname Ulery, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Ulery 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 Ulery surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.3% · 1,534
- Two or more races3.3% · 55
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 47
- Black or African American0.9% · 15
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ulery
Ulery 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
#16,839
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,695
+114 bearers (+7.2%)
Per 100,000 0.57
Rank movement Down 166 places
2020
#16,732
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,662
-33 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.56
Rank movement Up 107 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,673 | 1,581 | 0.59 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,839 | 1,695 | 0.57 | +114 bearers (+7.2%) | Down 166 places |
| 2020 | #16,732 | 1,662 | 0.56 | -33 bearers (-1.9%) | Up 107 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 Ulery 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 | #16,839 | #16,732 | 0.6% |
| Count | 1,695 | 1,662 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.57 | 0.56 | -2.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ulery bearers went from 1,695 to 1,662 (-1.9% change). The surname moved up 107 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,839 to #16,732.
FAQ
Ulery surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ulery?
Name Census estimates that about 1,906 living Americans carry the surname Ulery. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 179,829 residents.
How common is Ulery?
Ulery ranks #16,732 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.56 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 1,662 people with the surname Ulery. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,906), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.56 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.56 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 Ulery.
Has Ulery become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ulery went from 1,695 recorded bearers to 1,662. That is a decrease of 33 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #16,839 to #16,732.
What does the Census say about the background of Ulery?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ulery, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Ulery in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.3% (1,534 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ulery appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.3%), Two or More Races (3.3%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Ulery (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 Ulery mean?
Of Low German origin, a topographic surname referring to someone living in a meadow or clearing. 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 Ulery (0.56 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 have the last name Ulery?
Want to know how many people are called Ulery? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.