2000
#16,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,582
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.59
Rare Last name
Ulm
A locational surname derived from the German city of Ulm.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,793 Americans carry the last name Ulm. That puts it at #17,644 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.52 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 191,162 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ulm 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
1.8K
1 in 191,162
Census rank
#17,644
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,564 bearers of the surname Ulm in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.52 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 17644th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ulm, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ulm
The surname Ulm is of German origin, deriving from the city of Ulm in the federal state of Baden-Württemberg, located in southern Germany. The name is believed to have emerged as an occupational surname, given to people who hailed from or worked in the city of Ulm during the Middle Ages.
Ulm is an ancient city, with its roots dating back to the Roman era. The name Ulm is thought to be derived from the Celtic word "ilm," meaning water or river, referring to the city's location on the banks of the River Danube. The earliest known record of the name Ulm appears in a document from the 9th century, where it is referred to as "Hulma."
The city of Ulm played a significant role in the history of Germany, particularly during the Renaissance period. It was a prominent center of trade and commerce, thanks to its strategic location on the Danube River. Many prominent figures in history have been associated with the city, including the renowned mathematician and astronomer Johannes Kepler, who was born in Ulm in 1571.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Ulm was Konrad von Ulm, a 14th-century German architect and master builder who is credited with the construction of the famous Ulm Minster, a Gothic cathedral known for its soaring spire, which was the tallest structure in the world until the 19th century.
In the 15th century, Ulrich Ulm, a German artist and woodcarver, gained recognition for his intricate works, including the renowned altar at the Ulm Minster. His artistic legacy has been preserved in various museums and churches across Europe.
Another notable individual with the surname Ulm was Hans Ulm, a 16th-century German military engineer who played a crucial role in the fortification of several cities, including Ingolstadt and Landshut, during the Renaissance period.
During the 18th century, Johann Ulm, a German composer and organist, made significant contributions to the development of church music. His compositions, particularly his organ works, were widely admired and performed throughout Europe.
In the 19th century, Albert Ulm, a German-American architect, gained recognition for his work in the United States. He designed several notable buildings, including the Old City Hall in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and the Milwaukee County Courthouse, which are now designated as historic landmarks.
The surname Ulm has a rich history that spans centuries and has been associated with various notable figures across different fields, from architecture and art to music and engineering. While its origins can be traced back to the city of Ulm in Germany, the name has since spread to various parts of the world, carrying with it the legacy of its German heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ulm
Among Census respondents with the surname Ulm, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Ulm 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 Ulm surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.1% · 1,441
- Two or more races3.4% · 53
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 40
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 8
- Black or African American0.3% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ulm
Ulm 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
#17,111
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,658
+76 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.56
Rank movement Down 446 places
2020
#17,644
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,564
-94 bearers (-5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.52
Rank movement Down 533 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,665 | 1,582 | 0.59 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #17,111 | 1,658 | 0.56 | +76 bearers (+4.8%) | Down 446 places |
| 2020 | #17,644 | 1,564 | 0.52 | -94 bearers (-5.7%) | Down 533 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 Ulm 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 | #17,111 | #17,644 | -3.1% |
| Count | 1,658 | 1,564 | -5.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.56 | 0.52 | -6.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ulm bearers went from 1,658 to 1,564 (-5.7% change). The surname moved down 533 positions in the national ranking, going from #17,111 to #17,644.
FAQ
Ulm surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ulm?
Name Census estimates that about 1,793 living Americans carry the surname Ulm. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 191,162 residents.
How common is Ulm?
Ulm ranks #17,644 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.52 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 1,564 people with the surname Ulm. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,793), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.52 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.52 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 Ulm.
Has Ulm become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ulm went from 1,658 recorded bearers to 1,564. That is a decrease of 94 (-5.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #17,111 to #17,644.
What does the Census say about the background of Ulm?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ulm, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Ulm in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.1% (1,441 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ulm appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.1%), Two or More Races (3.4%), Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Ulm (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 Ulm mean?
A locational surname derived from the German city of Ulm. 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 Ulm (0.52 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 Ulm?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.