The first name Ursula
A girl’s name from Latin.
Pronounced /ˈɝ.sə.lə/ 3 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
Latin origin
From Latin Ursula, the name of a fourth century saint. Via Proto-Indo-European *h₂ŕ̥tḱos cognate with Arcady.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 3 girls were named Ursula, making it the 5,927th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2003, with 24 births (#996).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Ursula with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Ursula at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 29 girls born in the United States were named Ursula, the 4,747th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1967, when 400 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Ursula in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Ursula in Esperanto, Estonian, German and Irish too.
Famous people named Ursula
48 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Ursula K. Le GuinAmerican fantasy and science fiction author (1929–2018)
- Saint UrsulaFrankish saint, 400–385
- Ursula KarvenGerman actress and author, born 1964
- Ursula FranklinCanadian metallurgist, research physicist, author, and educator (1921–2016)
- Ursula BurnsAmerican businessperson, born 1958
- Ursula MeierFrench-Swiss film director and actress, born 1971
- Ursula PlassnikAustrian politician, diplomat, foreign minister, born 1956
- Ursula DonathEast German middle distance runner (born 1931)
- Ursula HaverbeckGerman Holocaust denier, 1928–2024
- Ursula HollGerman footballer, born 1982
- Ursula LehrGerman academic and politician, 1930–2022
- Ursula ThiessGerman actress (1924-2010)
More Latin girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Ursula mean?
- From Latin Ursula, the name of a fourth century saint. Via Proto-Indo-European *h₂ŕ̥tḱos cognate with Arcady.
- What is the origin of the name Ursula?
- From Latin Ursula, the name of a fourth century saint. Via Proto-Indo-European *h₂ŕ̥tḱos cognate with Arcady.
- How popular is the name Ursula?
- In 2025, 3 girls born in England and Wales were named Ursula, ranking 5,927th. Its peak was 2003, with 24 births.
- Is Ursula a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 14,811 US babies named Ursula since 1880 were girls.
- When was Ursula most popular?
- 1967 in the United States, when 400 babies were named Ursula, its highest rank at 474th.
- How do you pronounce Ursula?
- Ursula is /ˈɝ.sə.lə/, 3 syllables.