2000
#20,831
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,178
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.44
Rare Last name
Ulrey
An English surname derived from Old English personal name Ulf-ric meaning "wolf ruler".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,338 Americans carry the last name Ulrey. That puts it at #22,581 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.39 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 256,169 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ulrey 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
1.3K
1 in 256,169
Census rank
#22,581
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,167 bearers of the surname Ulrey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.39 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 22581st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ulrey, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ulrey
The surname Ulrey has its origins in Germany, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. The name is believed to have derived from the Old German words "ul," meaning "owl," and "rih," meaning "ruler" or "leader." This combination suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone with characteristics associated with an owl, such as wisdom, vigilance, or a nocturnal nature.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ulrey can be found in the German city of Augsburg in the 14th century. An entry in a local registry from 1367 mentions a certain "Hans Ulrey," indicating that the name was already in use during that time period. The spelling variations "Ulrey," "Ulrei," and "Ulrigh" were also documented in various records from the region.
In the 16th century, the Ulrey name appeared in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a well-preserved medieval city in Bavaria. A document from 1542 references a "Konrad Ulrey," who was a local landowner and craftsman. This suggests that the name had spread across different parts of southern Germany by that point.
As the centuries progressed, the Ulrey surname continued to be present in various German communities. One notable figure bearing the name was Johann Ulrey, born in 1692 in the village of Kirchheim unter Teck. He was a respected scholar and theologian who authored several influential works on religious philosophy during the Age of Enlightenment.
In the 19th century, the Ulrey name made its way to other parts of Europe and beyond. In 1832, a man named Wilhelm Ulrey was born in the town of Mühlhausen, Thuringia. He later emigrated to the United States and settled in the state of Pennsylvania, becoming one of the earliest known Ulreys to establish roots in North America.
Another notable figure with the Ulrey surname was Katharina Ulrey, born in 1879 in the German city of Freiburg. She was a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights, founding several schools and organizations dedicated to promoting educational opportunities for girls and women in the early 20th century.
While the Ulrey name has its roots firmly planted in German soil, it has since spread across the globe, carried by individuals and families who have left their mark on various communities and cultures throughout history. From scholars and landowners to educators and pioneers, the Ulrey surname has a rich and diverse legacy that spans centuries and continents.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ulrey
Among Census respondents with the surname Ulrey, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Ulrey 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 Ulrey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.2% · 1,041
- Two or more races5.1% · 60
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 42
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 9
- Black or African American0.3% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ulrey
Ulrey 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
#21,940
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,183
+5 bearers (+0.4%)
Per 100,000 0.40
Rank movement Down 1,109 places
2020
#22,581
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,167
-16 bearers (-1.4%)
Per 100,000 0.39
Rank movement Down 641 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #20,831 | 1,178 | 0.44 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #21,940 | 1,183 | 0.40 | +5 bearers (+0.4%) | Down 1,109 places |
| 2020 | #22,581 | 1,167 | 0.39 | -16 bearers (-1.4%) | Down 641 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 Ulrey 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 | #21,940 | #22,581 | -2.9% |
| Count | 1,183 | 1,167 | -1.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.40 | 0.39 | -2.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ulrey bearers went from 1,183 to 1,167 (-1.4% change). The surname moved down 641 positions in the national ranking, going from #21,940 to #22,581.
FAQ
Ulrey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ulrey?
Name Census estimates that about 1,338 living Americans carry the surname Ulrey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 256,169 residents.
How common is Ulrey?
Ulrey ranks #22,581 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.39 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 1,167 people with the surname Ulrey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,338), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.39 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.39 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 Ulrey.
Has Ulrey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ulrey went from 1,183 recorded bearers to 1,167. That is a decrease of 16 (-1.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #21,940 to #22,581.
What does the Census say about the background of Ulrey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ulrey, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Ulrey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.2% (1,041 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ulrey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.2%), Two or More Races (5.1%), Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Ulrey (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 Ulrey mean?
An English surname derived from Old English personal name Ulf-ric meaning "wolf ruler". 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 Ulrey (0.39 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 Ulrey?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Ulrey is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.