2000
#16,463
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,608
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.60
Rare Last name
Urich
A surname of Middle German origin meaning "ruler" or "governor."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,534 Americans carry the last name Urich. That puts it at #20,121 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.45 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 223,438 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Urich 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
1.5K
1 in 223,438
Census rank
#20,121
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,338 bearers of the surname Urich in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.45 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 20121st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Urich, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Urich
The surname URICH is of German origin, with its roots traced back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "urh," which means "aurochs" or "wild ox." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a place inhabited by these animals or perhaps a hunter who specialized in hunting them.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name URICH can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval documents from the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg, dating back to the 13th century. In this manuscript, a certain "Conradus Urich" is mentioned as a landowner in the region.
In the 15th century, the name appears in the town records of Nuremberg, with a "Hans Urich" listed as a master craftsman in the city's guild of goldsmiths. This provides evidence of the name's presence in urban centers and its association with skilled trades during that time.
The URICH surname gained further prominence in the 16th century, with the birth of the German theologian and reformer, Zacharias Ursinus (1534-1583). Born as Zacharias Bär (meaning "bear" in German), he later adopted the latinized surname Ursinus, which is derived from the same root as URICH, further solidifying the name's connection to the aurochs.
Another notable figure bearing the URICH name was the German-American explorer and cartographer, Johann David Urich (1720-1789). He played a crucial role in mapping the western territories of what would become the United States, particularly in the region now known as Kentucky.
In the 19th century, the URICH name found its way to England, with the birth of the British writer and journalist, Lewis Urich (1846-1912). He is best known for his works on the history and culture of the British Empire, showcasing the global reach of the surname.
Throughout its history, the URICH surname has also been associated with various place names and locations. For instance, the town of Urach in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, is believed to have derived its name from the same Old German root as URICH, further highlighting the name's connection to the aurochs and the natural landscape.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Urich
Among Census respondents with the surname Urich, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Urich 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 Urich surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 1,230
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 48
- Two or more races2.7% · 36
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 9
- Black or African American0.2% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Urich
Urich 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
#18,128
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,536
-72 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.52
Rank movement Down 1,665 places
2020
#20,121
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,338
-198 bearers (-12.9%)
Per 100,000 0.45
Rank movement Down 1,993 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,463 | 1,608 | 0.60 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #18,128 | 1,536 | 0.52 | -72 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 1,665 places |
| 2020 | #20,121 | 1,338 | 0.45 | -198 bearers (-12.9%) | Down 1,993 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 Urich 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 | #18,128 | #20,121 | -11.0% |
| Count | 1,536 | 1,338 | -12.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.52 | 0.45 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Urich bearers went from 1,536 to 1,338 (-12.9% change). The surname moved down 1,993 positions in the national ranking, going from #18,128 to #20,121.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Urich
FAQ
Urich surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Urich?
Name Census estimates that about 1,534 living Americans carry the surname Urich. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 223,438 residents.
How common is Urich?
Urich ranks #20,121 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.45 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 1,338 people with the surname Urich. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,534), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.45 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.45 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 Urich.
Has Urich become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Urich went from 1,536 recorded bearers to 1,338. That is a decrease of 198 (-12.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #18,128 to #20,121.
What does the Census say about the background of Urich?
Among Census respondents with the surname Urich, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Urich in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (1,230 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Urich appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Hispanic (3.6%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Urich (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 Urich mean?
A surname of Middle German origin meaning "ruler" or "governor." 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 Urich (0.45 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 common is the surname Urich?
You can see how many people have the surname Urich on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.