Names That Start with U

U is one of the rarest letters to start a name in English, which makes these names stand out. Many come from the Hebrew Bible. Uriel is an archangel in Jewish and Christian tradition, Uriah is a soldier in the stories of the kings of Israel, and Urijah is a variant of that name. Uri, Uziel and Uzziah also come from Hebrew, and Uzziah was a king of Judah.

The hero of the Odyssey is known in Latin as Ulysses, and that form has carried into English. Ulises is the Spanish form, and Ulices is a variant spelling. Ulysses also has a strong American connection as the first name of a Civil War general who became president.

Other U names come from a broad range of languages. Umar and Usman are Arabic and South Asian forms of names from early Islamic history. Uma is a name of the Hindu goddess Parvati, and Una is an Irish name with a long history. Usher is an English surname taken from the job of a doorkeeper, and Unique is a modern word name. Because U names are uncommon, people may ask about pronunciation. A short name like Uri or Una is simple, while Ulysses and Uzziah have more presence.