Explore the Family Name Uba

The meaning of Uba

1. Polish: from a shortened form of compound names beginning with Uby- (from Old Polish ubyć, ubywać ‘to disappear, to go away’ or ubać się ‘to get scared’). Alternatively, a variant of Huba. 2. West African (Nigeria): Igbo name, from a short form of a personal name such as Ubanwa, which is interpreted as ‘may our family multiply’. 3. West African (northern Nigeria): unexplained. 4. Indian (Sikkim): from the name of Uba Hang, the ruler of Limbuwan (now Sikkim and parts of Nepal) 849–65 AD, meaning ‘strong’ in Bhutia or Khasi. 5. Japanese: written 姥 ‘old woman’, 乳母 ‘nurse’, or phonetically as 烏羽 ‘crow’s feather’.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Uba in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Uba has seen a considerable increase in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Uba ranked 81,100 but rose up the ranks to 67,519 by 2010, marking a significant 16.75% change. The count of individuals bearing this surname also increased by 34.56%, from 217 to 292 people. Similarly, the proportion of people with the Uba surname per 100,000 people saw an increase of 25%, moving from 0.08 in 2000 to 0.1 in 2010.

20002010Change
Rank#81,100#67,51916.75%
Count21729234.56%
Proportion per 100k0.080.125%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Uba

The ethnicity associated with the surname Uba also experienced noteworthy changes between 2000 and 2010, as identified through the Decennial U.S. Census. The percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander decreased by 15.58%, going from 20.28% to 17.12%. There was a slight increase in those identifying with two or more races, rising from 0% to 2.05%. White individuals with the Uba surname decreased from 34.56% to 29.11%, a change of -15.77%. Interestingly, there was no record of individuals with Hispanic or American Indian and Alaskan Native ethnicity among the Uba surname holders. However, the number of Black individuals with the surname Uba increased, reaching 50% in 2010 from 44.24% in 2000, a rise of 13.02%.

20002010Change
Black44.24%50%13.02%
White34.56%29.11%-15.77%
Asian/Pacific Islander20.28%17.12%-15.58%
Two or More Races0%2.05%0%
Hispanic0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%