We have no definite dates for Ulbar, but we do know that he was a mariner aboard the great ship Hírilondë on its maiden voyage to Middle-earth. That voyage took the ship away from Númenor between II 877 and II 883, so we can be sure that Ulbar was extant during those years. He had a young son at the time, Îbal, which suggests that he was himself still comparatively young (as does his choice to adventure across the Great Sea with the Great Captain Aldarion).

Ulbar's name is almost certainly Adûnaic rather than Elvish, and its meaning is unknown. In fact, the elements ul and bar can be interpreted as Elvish words (they would mean something like 'bad home'), but this can hardly have been the intended meaning. Nonetheless, Sindarin was widely spoken in Númenor, so even as an Adûnaic name, it could still be seen as a somewhat unfortunate choice by Ulbar's parents.