Show ContentsUrich History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Urich surname comes from the old German personal name Uodal-rich. Literally the name means "noble heritage" + "rich, powerful." The name became popular in the Middle Ages in part due to Saint Ulrich (893-973), Bishop of Augsburg, Germany. He was the first saint to be canonized not by a local authority but by the Pope.

Early Origins of the Urich family

The surname Urich was first found in Bavaria, in the city of Nuremburg, where the name was anciently associated with the tribal conflicts of the area. They declared allegiances to many nobles and princes of early history, lending their influence in struggles for power and status within the region. They branched into many houses, and their contributions were sought by many leaders in their search for power.

The name as a first name was associated with many notable figures of the mediaeval period, such as St. Ulrich, Bishop of Augsburg, and Count Udalrich I (fl. 778-814), a son of Gerold of Vinzgau. His sister Hildegard, (b. 754), married King Charlemagne in 771 and his father, Gerold was a count in Kraichgau and Anglachgau.

Ulric Manfred II of Turin (c. 975-1033) was one of the first to coin the name in the personal form. Early records include: Ulric I of Carniola (d. 1070), the Margrave of Carniola and Carinthia; Ulric II of Carniola (d. 1112), the Margrave of Istria; Ulrich I, Bishop of Passau (c. 1027 - 1121); Ulrich of Zell (1029-1093), abbot and saint; Ulrich I Bishop of Eichstatt (r. 1075-1099); Ulrich of Bamberg (fl. 1100), priest and chronicler; and Ulrich von Lichtenstein (1200-1276,) a poet of some note. By the 14th century the name was firmly grounded as a prominent surname.

Early History of the Urich family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Urich research. Another 138 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1612, 1623, 1633, 1685, 1701, 1702 and 1714 are included under the topic Early Urich History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Urich Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Ulrich, Ulrichs, Ullrich, Ulrick, Ulrik, Ullrik, Ullrick, Urich and many more.

Early Notables of the Urich family

Prominent among members of the name Urich in this period include Anthony Ulrich (1633-1714), Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and ruled over the Wolfenbüttel subdivision of the duchy from 1685 until 1702; and Johann Warmund Ulrich, a...
Another 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Urich Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Urich Ranking

In the United States, the name Urich is the 14,722nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [1]


United States Urich migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Urich Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Valentine Urich, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1745-1746 [2]
  • Mich Urich, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1748 [2]
  • J Christopher Urich, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1754 [2]
Urich Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Joseph Urich, aged 30, who arrived in St Louis, Missouri in 1840 [2]
  • Jak Urich, who landed in America in 1855 [2]
  • Marie Urich, aged 4, who arrived in New York, NY in 1876 [2]
  • Catherine Urich, aged 32, who arrived in New York, NY in 1876 [2]
  • Conrad Urich, aged 31, who landed in New York, NY in 1876 [2]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Urich migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Urich Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Barbara Urich, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1757
  • Leonard Urich, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1757
  • Margereta Urich, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1757
Urich Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Anna Urich, aged 24, who arrived in Quebec in 1893

Contemporary Notables of the name Urich (post 1700) +

  • Richard W. "Doc" Urich (1928-1997), American football player and head coach at the University of Buffalo (1966 to 1968) and Northern Illinois University (1969 to 1970)
  • Louis J Urich (b. 1879), American sculptor and professor
  • William Urich, American politician, Mayor of Royal Oak, Michigan, 2001-03 [3]
  • Robert Urich (1946-2002), American Emmy-winning, two-time Golden Globe nominated television actor who starred in 15 television series
  • Donald Urich (b. 1946), Dutch radiologist


  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 2016, February 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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