Show ContentsUlmer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The surname Ulmer is a local name derived from Ulm, a city in southwest Germany. The city of Ulm dates from at least 854, and was probably settled much earlier than that.

Early Origins of the Ulmer family

The surname Ulmer was first found in Wuerttemburg and Baden, in the Swabian Alps, where this family name became a prominent contributor to the development of the district from ancient times. Always prominent in social affairs, the name became an integral part of this region as it emerged to form alliances with other families within the Feudal System and the nation. The name most probably has its origin in the mediaeval city of Ulm (mentioned as early as 854,) south-east of Stuttgart.

Early History of the Ulmer family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ulmer research. Another 280 words (20 lines of text) covering the years 1140, 1273, 1363, 1613, 1622, 1659 and 1726 are included under the topic Early Ulmer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ulmer Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Ulm, Ulmer, Ullmer, Ulmers and others.

Early Notables of the Ulmer family

Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ulmer Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ulmer Ranking

In the United States, the name Ulmer is the 4,839th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1


United States Ulmer migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Ulmer Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Adam Ulmer, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1738 2
  • John Ulmer, who arrived in New England in 1740 2
  • Philip Ulmer, who landed in Philadelphia in 1741
  • Georg Ludwig Ulmer, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1749 2
  • Verner Ulmer, who arrived in South Carolina in 1749 2
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Ulmer Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Philip Ulmer, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1803 2
  • Thomas Ulmer, aged 28, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1804 2
  • Leonhard Ulmer, aged 40, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1804 2
  • William Ulmer, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1806 2
  • A Cath Ulmer, who landed in St Louis, Missouri in 1841 2
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Ulmer migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Ulmer Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Barba Ulmer, aged 3, who arrived in Quebec in 1893
  • Catha Ulmer, aged 45, who landed in Quebec in 1893
  • Christian Ulmer, aged 45, who arrived in Quebec in 1893
  • Elisabeth Ulmer, aged 50, who arrived in Quebec in 1893
  • Josef Ulmer, aged 8, who landed in Quebec in 1893
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Ulmer (post 1700) +

  • Lee Chester "L.C." Ulmer (1928-2016), American delta blues musician who worked with Elvis Presley, Les Paul and Mary Ford, Brook Benton, Nat King Cole, Fats Domino, Louis Armstrong and many more
  • William Ulmer (1833-1907), American founder of the William Ulmer Brewery, Brooklyn, New York in 1872
  • Charles Artie Ulmer (b. 1973), American former professional NFL football linebacker
  • Frances Ann "Fran" Ulmer (b. 1947), American administrator and Democratic politician, 9th Lieutenant Governor of Alaska from 1994 to 2002
  • Edgar Georg Ulmer (1904-1972), Austrian-American film director, best known for his movies The Black Cat (1934) and Detour (1945)
  • Shirley Sidney Ulmer, American educator, Chairman of the Political Science Department at the University of Kentucky
  • Robert Parke Ulmer, American who was a professor and chairman of the art department at Tennessee State University and the President of the Pennsylvania and Tennessee State Art Education Associations
  • James "Blood" Ulmer (b. 1942), American jazz and blues guitarist and singer
  • Frank Ulmer, American Democratic Party politician, Postmaster at Bluffton, Indiana, 1933-42 (acting, 1933-34) 3
  • Fran Ulmer (b. 1947), American Democratic Party politician, Mayor of Juneau, Alaska, 1983-85; Lieutenant Governor of Alaska, 1994-2002 3
  • ... (Another 10 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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