Given name
Urszula
“little she-bear”
Urszula is a feminine given name. It is used in Polish.
Original LatinUrsula
Meaning & origin
What it means
Urszula goes back to Latin Ursula, meaning “little she-bear.”
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1968. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Urszula through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 5
- 0 boys · 5 girls
- Most popular year
- 1968
- 5 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for girls is 5 in 1968. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,917 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.
Urszula’s family of names
In Polish usage, Urszula has a diminutive in Ula. In Polish usage, Urszula has a conventional equivalent in the Latin form Ursula. In Polish usage, Urszula has a conventional equivalent in the Hungarian form ORSOLYA.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Urszula has relatives in 16 languages. Lines run from its Latin roots to each of them.
Latinwhere Urszula comes from · 1 name
Nicknames & forms 9
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Uladiminutive · Polish
- Orszulkadiminutive · Polish
- Urszulkadiminutive · Polish
- Usiadiminutive · Polish
- Ulciadiminutive · Polish
- Ulusiadiminutive · Polish
- Uleńkadiminutive · Polish
- Uleczkadiminutive · Polish
Show 1 moreShow fewer
Across languages 16
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 3
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Urszula
- Urszula RadwańskaPolish tennis playerborn 1990
- Ursula LedóchowskaRoman Catholic missionary and saint (1865–1939)
- Urszula DudziakPolish singerborn 1943
- Urszula KielanPolish athletics competitor (born 1960)
- Urszula KoziołPolish poet, feuilletonist, and dramatist (1931–2025)
- Urszula ModrzyńskaPolish actress (1928–2010)
- Urszula WłodarczykPolish athletics competitor (born 1965)
- Urszula GrabowskaPolish actressborn 1976
- Urszula ŁośPolish cyclistborn 1994
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Urszula, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Immacolata
Immacolata is a feminine given name. It is used in Italian.
>99% girls
Michaelle
Michaelle is a feminine given name from Latin. It is used in French.
>99% girls
Carola
“a joyous song; a small, strong woman”
>99% girls
Tacey
“mute; silenced”
>99% girls
Gala
“a merrymaker; of the festive party” · “a singer”
>99% girls
Lucette
Lucette is a feminine given name from Latin. It is used in Norman.
>99% girls
Kristiina
“follower of Christ”
>99% girls
Melinda
“one who is sweet and gentle”
>99% girls