Uhl
A short German surname usually traced to a shortened form of Ulrich or other old Germanic names beginning with Uhl-/Udal-/Odal-.
The #6,476 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 58,876 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Uhl is generally understood as a clipped or reduced form of older Germanic given names, especially Ulrich, and in some scholarship also related to name-elements like Othal/Odal meaning 'heritage' or 'possessions.' The historical excerpts also point to dialect forms and diminutives in German-speaking areas, where Uhl could arise as a shortened nickname-style surname from a personal name. The literal sense is therefore not one fixed word meaning, but a family-name form built from an earlier given name.
History
The name appears in German surname scholarship as a regional shortened form found in dialect areas, especially in southern and southwestern German-speaking regions. It is also attested as a surname in Germany and among German emigrant communities, which helps explain its appearance in the United States. Some older writers connected it specifically with Ulrich, while others discussed broader Germanic name stems, so the exact path can vary by family.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older German surname studies note that Uhl could be just a one-syllable reduction of a longer name—one reason so many related forms like Uhle, Ihle, and Jehle turned up in the same dialect areas.
From the historical record
“Ulp, Ulph. N. Ulfarr or Ulf (wolf); F. Ulferd ; D.B. Ulf Ulfere, Ulfii ; G. Uhl, Uhlfig Ulfert ; p.n. Ulyatt. See Ullett Uncle. A loc. n., Holland anc' Germ. Dch. Unkel; a p.n.”
— British Family Names: their origin and meaning (2nd ed.)