Charlotte Girl
SHAHR-luht
“free man” · French
#2
Ursula
GirlLatin· “little bear”
- Meaning
- little bear
- Origin
- Latin
- Pronunciation
- UR-suh-luh
- Syllables
- 3
- US rank 2025
- #4,747
- US babies 2025
- 29
- Best rank
- #447 (1901)
- Peak year
- 1967
Meaning and origin of Ursula
Ursula is a Latin name that means “little bear”.
Ursula comes from the Latin ursa, "she-bear," with a diminutive ending, so it means "little bear." According to medieval legend, Saint Ursula was a British princess martyred at Cologne with her companions, and the Order of Ursulines, founded in the sixteenth century, carried her name into schools across the Catholic world. Shakespeare gave the name to a gentlewoman in Much Ado About Nothing. Writers have kept it visible, among them the novelist Ursula K. Le Guin. It is said UR-suh-luh. Many people now also think of the sea witch in Disney's The Little Mermaid, which gives the name a mixed image for some families.
Popularity over time
Ursula first appears in US Social Security records in 1881. It has ranked in the top 1,000 in 97 different years, starting in 1881. Its best national rank was #447 in 1901, and the most babies received it in 1967, when 400 were named Ursula. In 2025, 29 babies were named Ursula, and it ranked #4,747 nationally. That is 29% fewer than ten years earlier, so it is becoming less common.
Its national rank moved from #567 in 1920, #1,052 in 1950, #912 in 1980, #3,164 in 2000, #4,601 in 2010, and #4,747 in 2025. Of the 14,811 US girls named Ursula since records began, 19% were born in the 1960s, its biggest decade. The 1970s come next, with 2,740 babies. Since 2010, 475 more have been named Ursula.
Other girls' names that peaked around the same time include Shelli, Nichelle, Tamatha, Annemarie, and Cami.
Gender, sound and spelling
In the US it is used almost only for girls.
Ursula is usually pronounced UR-suh-luh, with three syllables. It has six letters, starts with U and ends in “-la”.
Middle names for Ursula
A few middle names that flow with Ursula: each avoids a matching first letter, a rhyme and a vowel clash where the names meet.
Sibling names for Ursula
Similar names
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Lists that include Ursula
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Ursula mean?
Ursula is a Latin name that means “little bear”.
What is the origin of the name Ursula?
Ursula has Latin roots. Ursula comes from the Latin ursa, "she-bear," with a diminutive ending, so it means "little bear." According to medieval legend, Saint Ursula was a British princess martyred at Cologne with her companions, and the Order of Ursulines, founded in the sixteenth century, carried her name into schools across the Catholic world.
Is Ursula a popular name?
Not especially. Ursula ranked #4,747 in the US in 2025, which puts it outside the top 1,000.
Is Ursula a boy or girl name?
Ursula is mainly a girl's name. In the US it is used almost only for girls.
How do you pronounce Ursula?
Ursula is usually pronounced UR-suh-luh. Stressed syllables are in capital letters.
Popularity figures come from US Social Security card applications (names given to at least five babies in a year, 1880 to 2025). How we source names and meanings