240 Unique Last Names That Start With U: With Meanings

Are you aware of how many last names that start with U exist in the world? While surnames ending in U tend to occur mostly in Romania, ones starting with U are less specific. They appear everywhere, from England and Germany to India.

Come along with us to discover over 200 last names, beginning with U, from the most popular to the most rare. You’ll find meanings, origins, and fun facts about popularity and usage and become an expert in no time!

80 Common Last Names That Start With U

These last names starting with U are ones you may know more than any other U names.

1. Ubanks – from the Middle English “eu,” meaning “yew,” and “bank(e),” meaning “back.”
2. Uberti – an Italian alternative form of Ugoberto, from “hug,” meaning “heart,” and “berht,” meaning “bright.”
3. Udall – is based on Yewdale, in Lancashire, England, and means “yew-tree valley.”
4. Uddin – comes from the Arabic “ud-dīn,” meaning “(of) the religion,” and a name like Ṣalāḥ ud-Dīn.
5. Udelhoven – given to someone from Üdelhoven in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
6. Udell – a 5-letter English surname beginning with U that means “yew tree” or “yew tree valley.”
7. Uden – means “(from/of) Uden,” a location in North Brabant, Germany.
8. Udin – originally a first name for Breton-French residents from Ille-et-Vilaine in Brittany.
9. Uebele – among German last names that start with U, derived from “uebel,” meaning “evil.”
10. Ueki – means “planted tree” in Japanese, in addition to “wood” and “cultivate.”
11. Ueno – means “upper field” or “planted field” in Japanese and refers to a place name.
12. Ufford – describes various locations across England and sometimes refers to “Uffa’s enclosure.”
13. Ugalde – a Basque surname meaning “waterside” or “river”; “from Ugalde” in the Spanish Álava province.
14. Ugolini – for a “son of Ugolino,” from a Germanic personal name and a pet form of Ugo.
15. Uhl – a Germanic nickname for Ulrich that uses the root “ule,” meaning “owl.”
16. Uhland – consists of the Germanic “odal,” meaning “inherited property,” and “nand,” meaning “daring” and “bold.”
17. Uhle – among topographical last names starting with U and means “earthen pot house.”
18. Ulch – an American form of the German Ulsch, from “łuža,” meaning “swamp” and “moor.”
19. Uliano – a short form of the first name Giuliano, the Italian variation of Julian.
20. Ullmer – for those “from Ulm” in Germany; related to Odolmar, meaning “famous inherited property.”
21. Ulloa – refers to two locations in Galicia, Spain, in the A Coruña and Lugo provinces.
22. Ulman – from the German Ulmann for those from Ulm in Baden-Württemberg, along with the Yiddish “man.”
23. Ulmer – means “fame of the wolf” as a given name and is linked to the German city of Ulm.
24. Ulrich – taken from the Old High German Uodalrich and means “heritage king or ruler.”
25. Ulrick – means “noble or regal ruler” in German, as a variant of Ulrich.
26. Umana – an Italian feminine form of Umano, meaning “human,” “open,” and “generous.”
27. Umanzor – another variation of Almanzor, linked to the mountain in Sierra de Gredos, Spain.
28. Umpleby – similar to Uppleby, from the Middle English “up in by,” meaning “up in the village.”
29. Underdown – for someone living “(at the) foot of the hill,” from the Old English “under dūn.”
30. Underhill – given to those living “below or in the lee of a hill” in Middle English.
31. Underkoffler – an Anglo spelling of the German Unterkofler; refers to the “lower side of a mountain.”
32. Underwood – among other geographical surnames starting with U describing someone “below a wood.”
33. Unger – an ethnic term or nickname for a Hungarian originating in Middle German.
34. Unnerstall – used for a farmer with a barn located beneath another farmer’s; means “below barn.”
35. Unruh – a nickname for a restless or quarrelsome person from the Middle German, “unrouwe,” meaning “unrest.”
36. Unswin – based on the Old English given name Hūnwine, meaning “bear cub friend.”
37. Unsworth – for those “from Unsworth, in Lancashire, England; originally appeared as Hundeswrth.
38. Unthank – refers to locations in England; from the Old English “unthances,” meaning “without leave.”
39. Upchurch – describes “the higher of two churches,” from the Old English “upp + cirice.”
40. Updike – from the Dutch Opdijk, for someone living on a dike.
41. Upham – is made up of the Old English “upp,” meaning “upper,” and “hām,” meaning “village.”
42. Upshaw – means “upper thicket” or “upper wooded area” in Old English.
43. Upstead – an Americanized spelling of the German Umstadt, a town in Hesse, Germany.
44. Upton – means “upper settlement” in English; the number one surname in Sussex in 1881.
45. Urbach – among German and Czech U last names as a form of the first name Urban.
46. Urbain – from the Latin “urbānus,” meaning “from the city” or “city-dweller.”
47. Urban – from the Latin surname Urbanus, for a “city dweller” as a form of “urbs,” meaning “city.”
48. Urbaniak – for those from Urbany or Urbanycze, in Lithuania; from the Latin “urbana,” meaning “city-dweller.”
49. Urbano – means “son of Urban” in Italian, and is related to the Latin “urban,” meaning “from the city.”
50. Urbanski – one of the many common Polish surnames linked to the Latin Urban.
51. Urbina – for those “from Urbina” in the Spanish Álava province of Spain.
52. Uriarte – composed of the Basque “uri,” meaning “hamlet” and “arte,” meaning “between in the midst of.”
53. Urias – originally from the biblical Uriah, meaning “God is light”; most common surname in Mexico.
54. Uribe – made up of the Basque “uri,” meaning “village” and “be(h)e,” meaning “lower part.”
55. Urick – an English spelling of the German Ulrich, meaning “noble heritage” and “rich” or “powerful.”
56. Urlaub – taken from the Middle German “urloup,” meaning “permission” or “discharge.”
57. Urquhart – a Scottish surname composed of “ar,” meaning “on” or “by” and “cardden,” meaning “thicket.”
58. Urquidi – a Spanish-Castilian form of Urkidi, given to someone living by a “birch wood.”
59. Urrutia – means “distant” and “far away” in Basque; also appears as Euskera.
60. Urry – first appeared in Ayrshire, in the Strathclyde region of Scotland; another form is Urie.
61. Urwin – for someone in Irving or Irvine, Scotland, means “green water” or “green sea.”
62. Usery – comes from the Old English “usura,” meaning “usurer,” to describe a moneylender.
63. Usher – an English occupational name for a “doorkeeper,” linked to the French “usser.”
64. Usherwood – associated with the English personal name “Ischere,” meaning “wood of the usher.”
65. Usilton – also appears as Uselton, composed of the English “usel,” meaning “useful,” and “tun,” meaning “enclosure.”
66. Usner – a German variation of Usener for someone from Usingen in Hesse.
67. Usrey – from the French “usager,” to describe a “person who has a right of use.”
68. Usry – relates to the English first name Osric, meaning “godly power.”
69. Ustinov – one of many Russian last names that start with U, meaning “son of Iustin.”
70. Utley – for those “from Utley” in Yorkshire, meaning “Utta’s woodland clearing.”
71. Utney – another form of Utne, named after a Norwegian village, whose name means “far out.”
72. Utsumi – means “inside,” “within,” “between,” and “house” in Japanese; also relates to Uchimi.
73. Utter -among Swedish surnames, meant for a soldier; means “otter” in Swedish.
74. Utting – an English patronymic surname related to the Old English “otta,” meaning “riches.”
75. Utz – dates back to Utz Ulricher in 14th-century Germany and relates to Ulrich.
76. Utzinger – for German and Swiss residents of towns called Utzing or Utzingen.
77. Uy – a Chinese surname meaning “yellow” or “to fall through.”
78. Uzumaki – composed of the Japanese “uzu,” meaning “eddy” and “maki,” meaning “book” or “scroll.”
79. Uzun – a nickname for a tall person based on the Turkish “uzun,” meaning “tall.”
80. Uzzell – an English-Norman nickname taken from the Old French “oisel,” meaning “bird.”

80 Interesting Last Names That Start With U

There is something unique and special about each of these surnames, starting with U.

1. Ubben – means “son of Ubbo,” also linked to an ancient name meaning “property” and “possessions.”
2. Ubele – an occupational surname associated with the German “uebel,” meaning “evil.”
3. Uebelhor – a variation of the German Übelherr, which means “evil lord.”
4. Ubosi – is linked to the Nigerian first name Bimbo, meaning “born with wealth” in Yoruba.
5. Uccello – an Italian nickname meaning “bird,” “fowl,” and “cock,” as an occupational name for a Hunter.
6. Uchimura – means “interior” in Japanese; first appeared on the island of Okinawa in the 15th-century.
7. Uchiyama – another of many Japanese last names starting with U which means “inner mountain.”
8. Uchytil – a Czech nickname for someone “tenacious,” from “uchytit,” meaning “to take hold.”
9. Udalov – derived from the Russian male name “udal,” meaning “remote” and “distant.”
10. Udoka – an Igbo-Nigerian surname, which comes from “udo,” meaning “peace.”
11. Ueda – means “upper rice paddy” in Japanese and is popular in the Ryūkyū Islands.
12. Uehara – means “upper plain” or “planted plain” in Japanese, sometimes pronounced Kamihara.
13. Uehlein – associated with the male name Ulrich, meaning “strong in power.”
14. Ueland – is made up of the Old Norse “úfr,” meaning “horned owl,” and “land,” meaning “farmstead.”
15. Uesugi – from the Japanese “ue,” meaning “above” or “upper,” and “sugi,” meaning “cedar.”
16. Ufer – given to someone living on the bank of a river, from the Middle German “uover.”
17. Uffelman – an American form of the German Uffelmann, for those from Uffeln in Westphalia.
18. Ufimkin – a unique 7-letter patronymic Russian surname relating to the city of Ufa.
19. Ufimtsev – among Russian patronymic last names that start with U, which refers to the city of Ufa.
20. Uggeri – associated with the Italian male name Edgardo, a variant of Edgar, meaning “wealthy spear.”
21. Ughi – an Italian version of Hugo, meaning “heart” and “mind,” found in Lombardy, Tuscany, and Lazio.
22. Uhde – a German occupational name for workers in hemp products, from “heide,” meaning “hemp.”
23. Uhler – a German patronymic surname using the root “odal,” meaning “inherited property.”
24. Ujah – an Igbo-Nigerian surname referring to a “stick for bringing yam from the ground.”
25. Ulfsson – one of the main Scandinavian last names starting with U that means “son of Ulf.”
26. Ullom – an ancient and offbeat English word given to a “wolf.”
27. Ulsh – an Anglo spelling of the German Ultsch, a pet name for Ulrich.
28. Ulshafer – related to the South German Ulshöfer, a surname for those living in Ilshofen.
29. Ulven – means “the wolf” in Norwegian and Danish, from the Old Norse Ulvin.
30. Ulvestad – comes from the Old Norse “ulfr,” meaning “wolf,” and “stathir,” meaning “farmstead.”
31. Ulyanenko – among surnames starting with U which comes from Ulyana, meaning “youthful.”
32. Ulyanov – given to a “descendant of Ulyana,” the Slavic equivalent of Julian, meaning “youthful.”
33. Ulyashev – a Russian male last name taken from Ulyana (Juliana), meaning “youthful.”
34. Umanets – includes the Russian root “um,” meaning “mind” or “intelligence.”
35. Umansky – a particularly Ukrainian geographical surname to denote someone from Uman, Ukraine.
36. Umar – means “flourishing” and “long-lived” in Arabic, from the root “umr,” meaning “life.”
37. Umbreit – a nickname for an “uncooperative” person from the Middle German “unbereit.”
38. Umfleet – an alternative form of Anfleet, from the Middle English “an flete,” meaning “by the stream.”
39. Umholtz – given to someone living by a forest, from “unholz,” meaning “waste” or “refuse wood.”
40. Ummel – a lesser-known Swiss-German surname with an unknown meaning.
41. Umnov – uses the Russian root word “um,” meaning “mind” and “intelligence.”
42. Umphrey – taken from the Old French Humfrey, a variation of the Germanic Hunfrid and Humfrid.
43. Umsted – comes from the Old English “umb-stede,” meaning “the place by the edge.”
44. Unfried – a German nickname for someone quarrelsome from the Middle German “unvride.”
45. Ungaretti – an Italian diminutive for Ungar, a medieval name for a Magyar or Hungarian.
46. Ungur – an ethnic name for a Hungarian taken from the Middle German “unger.”
47. Unis – of Arabic origins with unknown meaning; also known as a girl’s name spelled Eunice.
48. Unrau – means “restless” or “quarrelsome,” from the Middle German “unrouwe,” meaning “unrest.”
49. Unser – means “uninjured” from the Middle German prefix “un-” and “sēr,” meaning “wounded.”
50. Unterreiner – a German geographical name for someone living below a field or a slope.
51. Unterseher – was given to someone living “downhill from a mountain lake.”
52. Uphold – a shorter version of the English Upholder, an occupational name for a secondhand clothes seller.
53. Upperman – an American form of the German Oppermann, an occupational name for a church sexton.
54. Uptegrove – a variation of the Dutch surname Updegraff; for someone living “up the grove” in Old English.
55. Uran – from the Welsh surname Uren, a Turkish form of Orhan, meaning “capable, skilled one.”
56. Urbon – from the first name Urban, meaning “of the city” in Latin.
57. Urbonas – means “gift” or “endowment” in Lithuanian, where it’s common.
58. Ureña – the name of a town in Salamanca, Spain; a variant of Urueña.
59. Urgo – means “vortex” and “whirlpool” to describe “where flax was put to soak” in Italian.
60. Urish – a different variation of the German Urich, given to a “noble and regal” ruler.
61. Urzua – a Basque form of Ursua, meaning “dove” or “water and fire.”
62. Useff – a less popular spelling of Yusuf, the Arabic form of Joseph.
63. Ushak – means “big ear” in Russian and is part of the patronymic Ushakov.
64. Ushakov – given to a “son or descendent” of Ushak, a nickname meaning “big ear.”
65. Ushakovets – the least known among Russian surnames based on Ushak, meaning “big ear.”
66. Ushakovskaya – a feminine form of Ushakovtsev; also a village in Vologda Oblast, Russia.
67. Ushakovtsev – one of many Russian last names starting with U, which are different versions of Ushakov.
68. Usman – a form of the Arabic first name Uthman; primarily used in Pakistan and Nigeria.
69. Usov – a Russian boy’s name that means “mustache”; its female equivalent is Usova.
70. Uspensky – has an unknown meaning and is mostly used in East Bulgaria.
71. Utecht – from the Old Slavic “utěha,” meaning “comfort” and “consolation.”
72. Utkin – means “duck” in Russian and appears as Utka in its feminine form.
73. Utley – from the Middle English “out,” meaning “outlying” and “ley,” meaning “wood” or “clearing.”
74. Utsey – an Anglo variation of the German Jütze; its alternative spelling is Youtsey.
75. Utzig – a German alternative to Utzing, itself a patronymic form of Utz.
76. Uvarov – a 6-letter surname traditionally used by counts and noble Russian families.
77. Uveges – a Hungarian occupational name for a glassmaker from “üveg,” meaning “glass.”
78. Uyehara – means “upper (or divine) plain” in Japanese and is sometimes pronounced Kamihara.
79. Uyeno – means “planted field” in Japanese and was first used by ancient clans as Ueno.
80. Uzowa – an alternative version of Ozawa, describing a “small swamp.”

80 Uncommon Surnames Starting with U

Even among last names that start with U, this group is more than a little uncommon.

1. Ubaghs – from the Latin “ubagus,” meaning “dark-skinned,” dating back to the 16th-century Netherlands.
2. Ubbesen – a Scandinavian patronymic surname based on Ebbe, meaning “wealthy” or “refuge.”
3. Ubby – a form of Ubbi and Ubbe, named after three warriors in Norse mythology.
4. Uber – means “over” and “above” in German, when derived from Friedrich Nietzsche’s Übermensch, meaning “superman.”
5. Ubl – a German nickname for Ub(b)o, from the root “od,” meaning “property” or “possession.”
6. Ucak – a 4-letter Turkish surname meaning “airfield” or “airport,” associated with “uçku,” meaning “airplane.”
7. Uchida – means “inner rice paddy” in Japanese and was used by samurai families.
8. Udebuluzor – a Nigerian surname meaning “God brings wealth,” used by Cornelius Udebuluzor, a Nigerian football player.
9. Udechukwu – means “God’s fame” in Nigerian-Igbo and is used mainly in southeastern Nigeria.
10. Udovičić – mainly used in Croatia and Serbia, derived from Ludovico, meaning “glorious in battle.”
11. Uecker – is made up of the German “od,” meaning “property” and “gēr,” meaning “javelin spear.”
12. Uglow – means “yeoman” or “upper people” and is also given to a descendant of a Scandinavian shipwrecked person.
13. Uhlig – an occupational German surname from “uhl,” meaning “owl.”
14. Uhlmann – among German surnames starting with U based on “odal,” meaning “inherited property.”
15. Uhr – a German nickname for Uhrich, a variant of Ulrich, an occupational name for a “watchmaker.”
16. Uhrich – originated as a South German variation of Ulrich, meaning “noble ruler.”
17. Uhrig – one of many forms of the German Ulrich, used to denote a “clockmaker.”
18. Ukalović – an 8-letter Croatian surname centered in the Zadar area; its meaning is unknown.
19. Ukeje – a Nigerian surname with Hebrew origins that describes someone “ahead of the class.”
20. Ulan – means “rain” in Filipino; one of the eight elements of the god Magbabaya in Philippine mythology.
21. Uland – intended for a shipowner or mariner traveling to Baltic ports.
22. Ulatowski – for someone from Ulatowo, Poland; from the Old Polish “ulatać,” meaning “to fly away.”
23. Ulbrich – composed of “odal,” meaning “inherited property,” and “berht,” meaning “bright famous.”
24. Ulery – an American variation of the German Ulrich, meaning “noble and regal ruler.”
25. Ulibarri – based on a Basque place name in Navarre, Spain, meaning “new hamlet or village.”
26. Ullah – means “of Allah” or “of the God” in Arabic, as an Islamic-based name.
27. Ullery – an Americanized form of Ullerich, from the Old German Uodalrich, meaning “heritage king.”
28. Ullmann – an Ashkenazi Jewish surname used in Germany, meaning “man from Ulm.”
29. Ulm – a city name in Baden-Württemberg, Germany; uses the root “uel,” meaning “turn” or “wind.”
30. Ulogu – means “powerful” and “brave” in Romanian; used by Diurpaneus, a 1st-century Dacian king.
31. Uloko – a Nigerian last name with an unknown meaning that’s beautiful all the same.
32. Ulrey – one of a half-dozen variations for the German Ulrich, meaning “noble ruler.”
33. Uluceanu – a Romanian name beginning and ending in U; used 28 times in Romania in 2014.
34. Uluitu – an extremely rare Romanian surname from “u,” for the objective “you” and “lui,” meaning “lot.”
35. Ulusan – comes from the Turkish “ulus,” which means “nation” or “people.”
36. Ulysse – the French form of Ulysses, from Odysseus, referring to the ancient Greek hero.
37. Um – a 2-letter Korean surname written in the same character as the Chinese Yan.
38. Umali – a very rare Filipino last name with an unknown meaning; also used in India.
39. Umbach – used by Germans and Jews for those from Umbach or Ambach in Bavaria and Austria.
40. Umbarger – from the German first name Oemberg, used for someone who lived “around the mountain.”
41. Umbenhower – one of the longest and rarest German last names starting with U, with noble lineage.
42. Umberger – derived from the Old German “umbari,” meaning “man from the woods.”
43. Umble – a good yet rare English version of Humble, a nickname for a meek person.
44. Umelo – has Afrikaans origins, meaning “rock”; it appears in Nigeria, too.
45. Umljenović – exists among longer Croatian patronymic surnames, with an unknown meaning.
46. Umstead – from the Old English “umb-stede,” meaning “the place by the edge.”
47. Ung – an uncommon variation of the Chinese Xióng, meaning “young”; also used in South Korea.
48. Ungar – an ethnic name for a Hungarian, which was used mainly in Germany.
49. Unrein – a German nickname based on the Middle German “unreine,” meaning “unclean” and “unchaste.”
50. Unwin – comes from the Old English Hūnwine, which means “bear-cub friend.”
51. Unzueta – composed of the Basque “untz,” meaning “ivy,” and “-eta,” meaning “place or group of.”
52. Upadhyay – taken from the Indian-Sanskrit “upādhyāya,” meaning “teacher” and “with study.”
53. Updegraff – the Americanized spelling of the Dutch Op de Graef, meaning “stream channel watercourse.”
54. Uphaus – a form of the German Uphu(e)s, given to those living in Uphusen, Germany.
55. Uphoff – a German geographical surname for someone living on a farm or manor in North Rhine-Westphalia.
56. Uppal – derived from the Sanskrit “utpalarana,” meaning “one who leaps upon their enemies.”
57. Upson – a form of the English Upstone, for those from Ubbeston, in Suffolk; means “Ubbi’s estate.”
58. Uranga – a Basque geographical name composed of “ur,” meaning “water” and the suffix “anga.”
59. Urbanek – is an Old Polish word that describes the “master of the house.”
60. Ure – a 3-letter Scottish variation of Ivor; associated with the Old Norse Urthvin, meaning “scree meadow.”
61. Uremović – a Serbo-Croatian surname based on the Hungarian “úr,” meaning “master” or “lord.”
62. Ureno – a specifically Hispanic form of the Spanish Ureña, located in Salamanca, Spain.
63. Uresti – made up of the Basque “ur,” meaning “water,” and “ezti,” meaning “sweet honey.”
64. Urfer – a German topographical last name given to someone from Urff, Germany.
65. Urgiles – an extremely rare Spanish surname found in Ecuador; its meaning is unclear.
66. Urich – the clearest derivation of the German Ulrich, meaning “noble and regal ruler.”
67. Uriegas – a rare Basque surname with an unexplained meaning; also appears as Urietas.
68. Urioste – is made up of the Basque “uri,” meaning “village,” and “oste,” meaning “behind.”
69. Uriostegui – composed of the Basque place name Urioste and the suffix “-egi.”
70. Urness – a Norwegian form of Urnes, meaning “rock-strewn slope” and “promontory headland.”
71. Urquidez – from the Basque Urquidi, itself a version of Urkidi, for someone who lived by a birchwood.
72. Urquiza – a Basque variation of Urkitza or Urkiza, taken from “urki,” meaning “birch tree.”
73. Urrea – for those from Urrea de Gaén in Teruel or Urrea de Jalón in Zaragoza, Spain.
74. Urso – an Italian given name associated with Orso, from the Latin Ursus, meaning “bear.”
75. Uselton – made up of the Old English “usel,” meaning “useful” and “tun,” meaning “enclosure.”
76. Ussery – from the Old English male name Osgar, meaning “god-spear”; linked to Osyth, in Essex, England.
77. Utt – from the Old English “ut,” meaning “outer”; for someone at the edge of a village.
78. Utterback – an Anglo spelling of the Flemish Van Utterbeeck, for someone from Itterbeek in Belgium.
79. Uyeda – means “upper rice paddy” in Japanese; sometimes pronounced as Kamida.
80. Uzelac – from a Serbo-Croatian derivative of “uzeti,” meaning “to take (away).”