Ursula
Feminine · “little she-bear”
Ursula is Latin for a little she-bear, and the legend of her eleven thousand companions began as a misread inscription.
How old is the name Ursula?
Ursula first appears in US birth records in 1881 — 144 years ago. The typical Ursula alive today was born around 1966, making them about 59 years old. About 9,700 people named Ursula are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Ursula most popular?
Ursula peaked in 1901, reaching #441 nationally. Today it ranks #4661, 4,220 places below that high. See the whole 1901 chart.
Where it comes from
From ursa to Ursula
The story of Ursula
The Cologne legend has Ursula martyred with eleven thousand virgins, a number that appears to come from a misreading of an inscription — an abbreviation for eleven martyrs, or for a companion named Undecimillia, expanded into a vast crowd. Medieval Cologne built a church lined with bones on the strength of it. Ursula K. Le Guin gave the name its strongest modern association.
Meaning
little she-bear
From Latin ursa, a female bear, with a diminutive; the same word gives Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. The name is a straightforward Latin formation and the derivation has never been in doubt.
How the name formed
- ursa
- Ursula
Related forms: Ursula · Úrsula · Orsola
Pronouncing Ursula
UR-suh-lah
Three syllables, first stressed. German gives OOR-zoo-lah.
Nicknames for Ursula
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1881
- Most girls named
- 1969384 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #441reached in 1901
- Change vs 2022
- +16.0%29 in 2025, from 25
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Ursula in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Ursula in German — same name
- Úrsula in Spanish — same name
- Orsola in Italian — same name
Strongest US states over the last decade: California, New York.
Ursulas among us
people named Ursula are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 girl in 55,423 born in 2025 was named Ursula
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
Fashion outlook
Ursula sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Where Ursula is headed
Ursula should hold steady through 2030 — the curve is flat, and flat curves are the most predictable kind. Its history is short or jumpy, though, so read this as a sketch rather than a promise.
Low confidence — fitted on official counts through 2025.
A damped-trend projection of the official birth data — a sketch of momentum, not a promise. Every name's forecast, ranked.
Ursula beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Ursula in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US girls given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- A settled Latin meaning that has never been disputed.
- Ursa and Sula are both usable short forms with real weight.
- A genuinely major modern writer carries it.
- The Disney sea witch is a strong association for children.
- It is strongly associated with the early twentieth century in English.
- Six letters and three syllables is a fair amount for early handwriting.
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What they receive
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Ursula
Feminine · #4661 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Ursulas are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 9,700 people named Ursula are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Ursula in 2025?
- Ursula ranks #4661 among US girl names in 2025, with 29 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Ursula?
- About 1 in every 55,423 US girls born in 2025 was named Ursula — 29 in all.
- Will my child share the name Ursula with classmates?
- Ursula will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Ursula
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Ellenor#4661 · Roselie#4661 · Marni#4661 · Menucha#4661 · Infinity#4661 · Lilya#4661 · Railyn#4661 · Zada#4661
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Ursula? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Ursula and another name?
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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