Ulrich (), is a German given name, derived from Old High German ''Uodalrich'', ''Odalric''. It is composed of the elements '' uodal-'' meaning "(noble) heritage" and ''-rich'' meaning "rich, powerful". Attested from the 8th century as the name of
Alamanni
The Alemanni or Alamanni, were a confederation of Germanic tribes
*
*
*
on the Upper Rhine River. First mentioned by Cassius Dio in the context of the campaign of Caracalla of 213, the Alemanni captured the in 260, and later expanded into pres ...
c nobility, the name is popularly given from the high medieval period in reference to Saint Ulrich of Augsburg (canonized 993).
There is also a surname Ulrich. It is most prevalent in Germany and has the highest density in Switzerland This last name was found in the United States around the year 1840 Most Americans with the last name were concentrated in Pennsylvania, which was home to many Pennsylvania Dutch, German immigrant communities. Nowadays in the United States, the name is distributed largely in the Pennsylvania-Ohio regio
History
Documents record the Old High German name ''Oadalrich'' or ''Uodalrich'' from the later 8th century in
Alamannia
Alamannia, or Alemannia, was the kingdom established and inhabited by the Alemanni, a Germanic peoples, Germanic tribal confederation that had broken through the Roman ''Upper Germanic Limes, limes'' in 213.
The Alemanni expanded from the Main ...
Anglo-Saxon
The Anglo-Saxons were a Cultural identity, cultural group who inhabited England in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to settlers who came to Britain from mainland Europe in the 5th century. However, the ethnogenesis of the Anglo- ...
cognate '' Æthelric'') is attested from the 6th century (
Athalaric
Athalaric (; 5162 October 534) was the king of the Ostrogoths in Italy between 526 and 534. He was a son of Eutharic and Amalasuntha, the youngest daughter of Theoderic the Great, whom Athalaric succeeded as king in 526.
As Athalaric was only ...
King of the Ostrogoths; Æthelric of Bernicia).
The name of Agilolfing duke Odilo (fl. 709–748) may represent a short form of the name.
Count Udalrich I (fl. 778–814), a son of Gerold of Vinzgau, founded the Alamannic Udalriching dynasty, ancestral to the counts of Bregenz.
The given name occurred frequently in the Alamannic Hunfriding dynasty in the 9th to 10th centuries; examples include Odalric, Count of Barcelona (fl. 850s) and Odalric, Count of Thurgau (fl. 920s).
The name is recorded in an Icelandic form as ''ÓðalrÃkr'' only in the later medieval period.
In the Middle High German period the name generally commemorated Saint Ulrich,
Bishop of Augsburg
Diocese of Augsburg is a diocese of the Catholic Church in Germany. The diocese is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Munich.attacks by Magyars.
The Swiss ReformerUlrich Zwingli etymologized his given name as ''Huldrych'' (''Huldricus, Huldaricus''), i.e. "rich in grace".
In the wake of Zwingli, during the 16th century and well into the 18th century, it became a fashion -
especially for Protestant writers - to Latinise the given name ''Ulrich'' as '' Huldricus''.
The name was popularly given in 20th-century
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
, especially from the 1940s to the 1960s,
peaking at rank 16 in 1947, but dropping below rank 100 in 1972.
In Czechoslovakia, ''OldÅ™ich '' was popularly given in the 1940s to 1950s, peaking at rank 18 during 1946–1951.behindthename.com (Oldrich)
Variants
The German given name was adopted in Czech and Slovak as ''Oldřich'', ''Oldrich'' and in Scandinavian as ''Ulrik'', in Slovenian as '' Urh'', in Latvia as Uldis.
Common German hypocoristics are ''Uli'' or ''Ulli'' (Swiss ''
Ueli Ueli () is the Swiss hypocoristic form of the masculine given name Ulrich.
People with the given name Ueli include:
*Ueli Bodenmann (born 1965), Swiss rower
*Ueli Gegenschatz (1971–2009), Swiss skydiver
*Ueli Kestenholz (born 1975), Swiss snowboa ...
'') and historically '' Utz''. A Czech/Slovak hypocoristic is ''
Volek
Volek (Czech feminine: Volková) is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Billy Volek (born 1976), American football player
* David Volek (born 1966), Czech ice hockey player
* Jaroslav Volek (1923–1989), Czech musicologist
* ...
'' and a Polish one ''Ryczek''.
Feminine forms '' Ulrikke'' and ''
Ulrika
Ulrica, also spelled Ulrika, is a female given name of Germanic origins. Its male equivalent is Ulric, Ulrich or Ulrik.
Ulrike and Ulrikke are alternative names derived from Ulrica.
Ulrica may refer to:
People
* Ulrika Eleonora, Queen of Sw ...
'' have been recorded from the early modern period.
Ulrich I, Bishop of Passau Portrait from Herzogenburg MonasteryUlrich I of Passau, also called Udalrich ( - 7 August 1121, Passau), was a monastery founder and bishop of the diocese of Passau.Herbert Wilhelm Wurster: Das Bistum Passau und seine Geschichte. 4 Bände, Straßbu ...
(c. 1027 – 1121)
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Ulrich of Zell
Ulrich of Zell, also known as Wulderic, sometimes of Cluny or of Regensburg (c. 1029 – 1093), was a Cluniac
The Cluniac Reforms (also called the Benedictine Reform) were a series of changes within medieval monasticism of the Western Chur ...
Ulrich of Bamberg
Ulrich of Bamberg was a priest and chronicler who lived in Bamberg, Germany around 1100.
Biography
Born Udalricus Babenbergensis, he was a cleric of the cathedral church of Bamberg, of whom nothing more is known than that he lived about 1100 at ...
Ulrich, Duke of Württemberg
Duke Ulrich of Württemberg (8 February 14876 November 1550) succeeded his kinsman Eberhard II as Duke of Württemberg in 1498. He was declared of age in 1503. His volatile personality made him infamous, being called the "Swabian Henry VIII" by ...
Ulrich Daldrup
Ulrich Daldrup (born 27 September 1947) is a former political leader and mayor of the German city of Aachen. He is an expert in International Cooperation and in Humanitarian Aid, and worked and lived many years in Africa and Asia.
Youth
Daldru ...
(born 1947), German scientist and mayor of Aachen
*
Ulrich Eberl
Ulrich Eberl (born 1962 in Regensburg, Germany) is a science and technology journalist. After four years as a journalist, he took a position with Diemler from 1992 to 1995 working on their technology publications. In 1995, he took a position as D ...
(born 1962), German science and technology journalist
* Ulrich Ellis (1904–1981), Australian writer
* Ulrich Graf (1878–1950), member of Hitler's inner circle
* Ulric Guttinguer (1785–1866), French novelist
* Ulrich Herbert (born 1951), German historian
*
Hans-Ulrich Indermaur
Hans-Ulrich Indermaur (born 29 November 1939) is a Swiss magazine editor, television reporter, and author. As a reporter and moderator for the television program ''Telearena'', he moderated a heated debate about homosexuality in Switzerland in 1978 ...
(born 1939), Swiss journalist and writer
* Ulrich Leyendecker (born 1946), German composer of contemporary classical music
*
, Central African Republic basketball coach
* Ulrich Matthes (born 1959), German actor
* Ueli Maurer (b. 1950), Swiss politician
* Ulrich Mühe (1953–2007), German actor and director
* Ulrich Noethen (born 1959), German actor
* Ulrich Salchow (1877–1949), German figure skater and inventor of the salchow jump
*
Ulrich Schmid-Maybach Ulrich Schmid-Maybach is a philanthropist, real estate developer, and entrepreneur.Ryono, Debra. The Maybach Hybrid. worth.com. 2009-01-04. URL:http://www.worth.com/Editorial/Thought-Leaders/Profiles/Profile-Maybach-April-May08.asp. Accessed: 2009-0 ...
, philanthropist, real estate developer and entrepreneur
* Ulrich Schnauss (born 1977), German musician
*
20 July plot
On 20 July 1944, Claus von Stauffenberg and other conspirators attempted to assassinate Adolf Hitler, Führer of Nazi Germany, inside his Wolf's Lair field headquarters near Rastenburg, East Prussia, now Kętrzyn, in present-day Poland. The ...
to assassinate Hitler in 1944
*
Ulrich Steinhilper
Ulrich Steinhilper (14 September 1918 – 20 October 2009) was a World War II Luftwaffe fighter ace who made numerous attempts to escape after he was shot down and captured. As a post-war IBM typewriter salesman, he was an early proponent of word ...
(1918–2009), World War II Luftwaffe ace credited by some with the concept of word processing
* Ulrich von Wilamowitz-Moellendorff (1848–1931), German classical philologist
* Ulrich Wild (born 1969), American record producer
*
Ulrich Friedrich Wilhelm Joachim von Ribbentrop
Ulrich Friedrich Wilhelm Joachim von Ribbentrop (; 30 April 1893 – 16 October 1946) was a German politician and diplomat who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nazi Germany from 1938 to 1945.
Ribbentrop first came to Adolf Hitler's not ...
(1818–1887), Swedish military and colonial governor
* Christian Ulrich (1836–1909), Austrian architect
*
D. K. Ulrich
Donald Keith (D. K.) Ulrich (born April 10, 1944) is a former driver/owner in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. As a driver, he had sixteen top ten finishes in 273 starts. His last race came in 1992.
As car owner, he fielded cars for many years for ...
(born 1944), American race car driver/owner
* Donald Ulrich aka Don Rich (1941–1974) American country music musician
* Dutch Ulrich (1899–1929), American baseball player
* Edward Oscar Ulrich (1857–1944), American invertebrate paleontologist
* Einer Ulrich (1896-1969), Danish tennis player
* Eric Ulrich (born 1985), American politician from New York City
* Fernando Ulrich (born 1952), Portuguese economist and banking administrator
*
Henry G. Ulrich III
Henry George "Harry" Ulrich III (born 1950) was a four-star admiral in the United States Navy who served as the Commander, United States Naval Forces Europe and Commander, Allied Joint Force Command Naples from May 23, 2005 to November 30, 2007. He ...
, United States Navy admiral who retired in 2007
* Jan Ullrich (born 1973), German race cyclist
* Jennifer Ulrich (born 1984), German actress
*
Joe Ulrich
Joe Ulrich is a retired U.S. soccer defender (football), defender. He won the 1982 Hermann Trophy as that year's top collegiate soccer player. He also played three seasons in the Major Soccer League, Major Indoor Soccer League.
Youth and colleg ...
(born 1961), American former soccer player
*
Lars Ulrich
Lars Ulrich (; ; born 26 December 1963) is a Danish musician best known as the drummer and co-founder of American heavy metal band Metallica. The son and grandson respectively of tennis players Torben and Einer Ulrich, he played tennis in his ...
(born 1963), Danish drummer for heavy metal band Metallica
*
Laurent Ulrich
Laurent Bernard Marie Ulrich (born 7 September 1951) is a French prelate of the Catholic Church who became Archbishop of Paris in May 2022.
Ulrich has been a bishop since 2000 and was Archbishop of Lille from 2008 to 2022. He was vice president ...
(born 1951), French archbishop of the Catholic Church
* Laurel Thatcher Ulrich (born 1938), American historian and writer
*
Lester J. Ulrich Lester Julius Ulrich (November 15, 1908 – November 25, 1991) was an American lawyer and politician.
Ulrich was born in Willow Creek, Blue Earth County, Minnesota. He graduated from Amboy High School in Amboy, Minnesota in 1926. Ulrich went t ...
(1908-1991), American lawyer and politician
*
Richard Ulrich
Richard Ulrich (born 1942 in Stuttgart) is a German board game designer. Many of his games have been nominated for or have won the Spiel des Jahres, a German games award.
He is best known for co-authoring the board game ''El Grande'' with Wolfg ...
(born 1942), German board game designer
* Skeet Ulrich (born 1970), American actor
*
Torben Ulrich
Torben Ulrich (born 4 October 1928) is a Danish writer, musician, filmmaker and former professional tennis player. He is the father of Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich.
Biography
Ulrich was born on 4 October 1928 in Copenhagen, the son of Ulla ...
(born 1928), Danish writer and tennis pro
*
Tracy Ulrich
Tracy Richard Irving Ulrich (born January 20, 1966), known professionally as Tracii Guns, is an American guitarist best known as the co-founder of glam metal group L.A. Guns, as well as the supergroups named Brides of Destruction and Contraban ...
(born 1966), aka Tracii Guns, guitarist and musician
* Werner Ulrich (born 1948), Swiss social scientist and practical philosopher
* William M. Ulrich (born ca. 1956), American management consultant
Fictional characters
* Ulrich, the old sorcerer in the film '' Dragonslayer'' (1981)
* Ulrich, the protagonist of Robert Musil's 20th century novel '' The Man Without Qualities''
* Ulrich Stern, a character on the French animated TV series '' Code Lyoko''
* Ulrich von Bek, the hero of '' The War Hound and the World's Pain'' and other novels by Michael Moorcock
* Ulrich von Gradwitz, a character in Saki's short story "The Interlopers"
* Ulrich von Liechtenstein, an alias of Heath Ledger's character in the film '' A Knight's Tale''
* Walter von Ulrich, one of the main characters in the novels '' Fall of Giants'' and '' Winter of the World'' by Welsh author Ken Follett
* Ulrich Wolfshead, warlord of the Nadir in David Gemmells Drenai tales.
* Maj. Ulrich Herzoff, alias used by Rex Harrison's character in Carol Reed's film '' Night Train to Munich''
* Ullrich, an enemy appearing in
Nintendo
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles.
Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produce ...
's '' EarthBound Beginnings''.
* Ulrich Nielsen, a character in the German Netflix original series '' Dark''.
See also
*
Huldreich (disambiguation) Huldricus (also ''Huldaricus'', ''Huldrych'', ''Huldreich'') is a variant of the given name Ulrich first introduced by Zwingli in the early 16th century and occasionally used as a variant of the name since.
* Huldrych Zwingli (1484–1531), leader o ...
*
St. Ulrich's and St. Afra's Abbey, Augsburg
St. Ulrich's and St. Afra's Abbey, Augsburg (german: Kloster Sankt Ulrich und Afra Augsburg) is a former Benedictine abbey dedicated to Saint Ulrich and Saint Afra in the south of the old city in Augsburg, Bavaria.
From the late 16th century ...
Uli (disambiguation)
Uli may refer to:
*Uli, Iran, a village
*Uli, Anambra, a town in Nigeria
*Uli I of Mali
*Uli (design), by the Igbo people of Nigeria
*Uli figure, from New Ireland, Papua New Guinea
*Uli (food), a rice-based food
* ISO 639 code for the Ulithian lang ...
Uldis
Uldis is a Latvian male given name that is a variant of the German name Ulrich, which means "powerful heritage". The name may refer to:
* Uldis Augulis (born 1972), Latvian politician
* Uldis Bērziņš (1944–2021), Latvian writer
* Uldis Br ...