Find out how popular the last name Ulven is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Ulven.

Ulven, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Ulven surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ulven in America

Ulven is the 67519th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ulven surname appeared 292 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Ulven.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ulven to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Ulven

The surname Ulven is of Norwegian origin, derived from the Old Norse word "úlfr," meaning "wolf." This name likely emerged during the Viking Age, between the 8th and 11th centuries, when the Norse people inhabited Scandinavia and parts of Northern Europe.

The name Ulven was initially concentrated in the western coastal regions of Norway, particularly in areas like Rogaland and Hordaland. It is believed that some of the earliest bearers of this name were likely associated with the Vikings or Norse settlers who ventured to other parts of Europe and beyond.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ulven can be found in the Landnámabók, an Icelandic manuscript from the late 12th century, which chronicles the settlement of Iceland by Norse explorers. The name appears as "Úlfr," referring to an early settler from Norway.

In the 13th century, a Norwegian chieftain named Ulven Gudmundsson is mentioned in the Icelandic Annals, a historical record of events in Iceland during the medieval period. This suggests that the name had gained prominence among the Norse nobility and ruling classes.

During the Middle Ages, the name Ulven also appeared in various forms in other Nordic countries, such as Sweden and Denmark, reflecting the cultural and linguistic connections between the Scandinavian regions.

Notable individuals with the surname Ulven include:

1. Ludvig Ulven (1841-1914), a Norwegian writer and poet known for his works depicting rural life in Norway.
2. Ragnhild Ulven (1908-1995), a Norwegian author and children's book writer who received the prestigious Riksmål Society Prize in 1954.
3. Tor Ulven (1953-1995), a Norwegian poet and novelist whose works explored themes of existentialism and human relationships.
4. Unni Ulven (born 1957), a Norwegian author and playwright who has received several literary awards, including the Brage Prize in 2008.
5. Ida Ulven (born 1978), a Norwegian author and literary critic whose debut novel "Ung åpning" (Young Opening) was published in 2018.

While the surname Ulven may have evolved over time and spread to other parts of the world through migration, its origins can be traced back to the Norse culture and settlements in Norway during the Viking Age and the early medieval period.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ulven

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Ulven.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Ulven was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Ulven has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Ulven was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Ulven, please contact us.

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