Given name · also Latin
Ursula
“resembling a little bear”
Ursula is used as a given name. One Greek interpretation is “resembling a little bear.”
Original GreekΟυρσούλα
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Greek interpretation is “resembling a little bear.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Latin.
How it developed
In Latin usage, Ursula is a feminine form of URSULUS.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1881. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Ursula through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 14,811
- 0 boys · 14,811 girls
- Most popular year
- 1967
- 400 babies
- 2025
- 29
- #4,747 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +6%
- Steady
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 29 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 4,747 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 6.3% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 400 in 1967. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 17,672 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Ursula’s family of names
In Swedish usage, Ursula has an affectionate form in Ulla. In Latin usage, Ursula is a feminine form of URSULUS. In Latin usage, Ursula has a conventional equivalent in the Polish form URSZULA.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Ursula has relatives in 27 languages. Lines run from its Ancient Greek roots to each of them.
29 related names in 27 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 32
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Ursavariant
- Ullapet form · Swedish
- Urselvariant · German
- Ursulevariant · French
- Ursalavariant
- Urselavariant
- Ursullavariant
- Zensursulanickname
Show 24 moreShow fewer
- Urssulalikely variant
- Urschidiminutive · gsw
- Uschidiminutive · German
- Urseavariant
- Urseevariant
- Ursievariant
- Ursivariant
- Ursyvariant
- Urseyvariant
- Ursannevariant
- Urzulivariant
- Ursylynvariant
- Ursulynavariant
- Ursillanevariant
- Ursulinavariant
- Urzullavariant
- Urzulavariant
- Ursillavariant
- Ursilavariant
- Ursollavariant
- Ursolavariant · Italian
- Ursallavariant
- Ursellavariant · English
- Urselchendiminutive · German
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 23
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Ursula
- Ursula von der LeyenPresident of the European Commission since 2019born 1958
- Ursula K. Le GuinAmerican fantasy and science fiction author (1929–2018)
- Ursula AndressSwiss actressborn 1936
- Saint UrsulaFrankish saint400–385
- Ursula KarvenGerman actress and authorborn 1964
- Ursula FranklinCanadian metallurgist, research physicist, author, and educator (1921–2016)
- Ursula BurnsAmerican businesspersonborn 1958
- Ursula HappeWest German swimmer (1926–2021)
- Mother ShiptonEnglish soothsayer1488–1561
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
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