Ullrich
A German surname from a personal name meaning “prosperity power” or “heritage power.”
The #9,093 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 85,954 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Ullrich is a German surname based on the old personal name Ulrich, a medieval compound from Old High German elements usually explained as uodal or odal, meaning “inheritance, ancestral property,” and rihhi, meaning “powerful, rich, ruling.” In that sense, the name can be understood as something like “power of the inheritance” or “rich in heritage.” The spelling with -rich reflects a regional or orthographic variant of Ulrich.
History
The given name Ulrich became common in German-speaking areas through medieval saints and noble usage, and surnames built from it spread widely as hereditary family names developed. Ullrich is especially associated with German and German-American families, and the spelling reflects a long-standing regional variation rather than a separate origin.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same first name behind Ullrich has produced many surnames and place-name forms across Central Europe, often with small spelling changes that reflect local dialects.