2000
#24,993
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 933
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.35
Rare Last name
Umbarger
An occupational surname derived from the German word "umme", meaning "around", and "berg", meaning "mountain" or "hill", likely referring to someone who lived or worked near a mountain or hilly region.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,295 Americans carry the last name Umbarger. That puts it at #23,232 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.38 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 264,675 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Umbarger 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 264,675
Census rank
#23,232
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,129 bearers of the surname Umbarger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.38 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 23232nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Umbarger, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Umbarger
The surname Umbarger has its origins in Germany, with the earliest known records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "umbe," meaning "around," and "berg," meaning "hill" or "mountain," suggesting that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or around a hill or mountain range.
One of the earliest documented instances of the name can be found in the town of Umbarger, located in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. Historical records indicate that the Umbarger family had a significant presence in this region during the 16th and 17th centuries, with several members holding prominent positions within the local community.
The name Umbarger also appears in several historical manuscripts and documents from the 17th and 18th centuries, including church records, property deeds, and legal documents. One notable example is the mention of a Johannes Umbarger in the records of the Protestant Reformation, where he is listed as a supporter of Martin Luther's teachings.
As the centuries passed, the Umbarger family spread across various regions of Germany and eventually to other parts of Europe and beyond. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name outside of Germany was in the Netherlands, where a Johannes Umbarger is documented as having settled in the city of Amsterdam in the late 17th century.
Throughout history, several individuals with the surname Umbarger have achieved notable accomplishments or held influential positions. One such individual was Friedrich Umbarger (1732-1798), a German philosopher and writer who was widely known for his contributions to the Enlightenment movement. Another notable figure was Anna Umbarger (1856-1932), a renowned German opera singer who performed on stages across Europe during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
In the United States, the Umbarger surname can be traced back to the late 18th century, when German immigrants began arriving in significant numbers. One of the earliest known American bearers of the name was Johann Umbarger (1770-1842), who settled in Pennsylvania and later became a prominent figure in the local community.
Other notable individuals with the surname Umbarger include Wilhelm Umbarger (1882-1964), a German-American architect known for his work in designing public buildings and landmarks in the early 20th century, and Elise Umbarger (1892-1978), an American author and women's rights activist who played a significant role in the suffrage movement of the early 20th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Umbarger
Among Census respondents with the surname Umbarger, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Umbarger 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 Umbarger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 1,037
- Two or more races2.9% · 33
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 32
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 9
- Black or African American0.3% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Umbarger
Umbarger 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
#25,295
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 979
+46 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.33
Rank movement Down 302 places
2020
#23,232
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,129
+150 bearers (+15.3%)
Per 100,000 0.38
Rank movement Up 2,063 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #24,993 | 933 | 0.35 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #25,295 | 979 | 0.33 | +46 bearers (+4.9%) | Down 302 places |
| 2020 | #23,232 | 1,129 | 0.38 | +150 bearers (+15.3%) | Up 2,063 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 Umbarger 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 | #25,295 | #23,232 | 8.2% |
| Count | 979 | 1,129 | 15.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.33 | 0.38 | 14.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Umbarger bearers went from 979 to 1,129 (+15.3% change). The surname moved up 2,063 positions in the national ranking, going from #25,295 to #23,232.
FAQ
Umbarger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Umbarger?
Name Census estimates that about 1,295 living Americans carry the surname Umbarger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 264,675 residents.
How common is Umbarger?
Umbarger ranks #23,232 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.38 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 1,129 people with the surname Umbarger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,295), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.38 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.38 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 Umbarger.
Has Umbarger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Umbarger went from 979 recorded bearers to 1,129. That is an increase of 150 (+15.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #25,295 to #23,232.
What does the Census say about the background of Umbarger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Umbarger, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) 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 Umbarger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (1,037 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Umbarger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Two or More Races (2.9%), 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 Umbarger (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 Umbarger mean?
An occupational surname derived from the German word "umme", meaning "around", and "berg", meaning "mountain" or "hill", likely referring to someone who lived or worked near a mountain or hilly region. 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 Umbarger (0.38 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 are called Umbarger?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Umbarger at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.