Girl nameCurrently #5,266 in the USSteady
Ursula
UR-suh-luh//ˈɜːrsələ//
3 syllablesPeak year: 19676 lettersStarts with U
Meaning & origin
Little female bear
Ursula comes from the Latin 'ursa', meaning bear, with a diminutive ending giving 'little she-bear'. Borne by an early Christian saint and martyr, it has a distinctive, old-fashioned strength, familiar to many today through Disney's villainous sea witch.
Ursula's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Ursula |
|---|---|
| 1881 | 6 |
| 1882 | 9 |
| 1883 | 7 |
| 1884 | 9 |
| 1885 | 19 |
| 1886 | 19 |
| 1887 | 20 |
| 1888 | 14 |
| 1889 | 18 |
| 1890 | 26 |
| 1891 | 21 |
| 1892 | 21 |
| 1893 | 18 |
| 1894 | 22 |
| 1895 | 39 |
| 1896 | 31 |
| 1897 | 32 |
| 1898 | 40 |
| 1899 | 29 |
| 1900 | 41 |
| 1901 | 45 |
| 1902 | 35 |
| 1903 | 46 |
| 1904 | 37 |
| 1905 | 50 |
| 1906 | 55 |
| 1907 | 42 |
| 1908 | 48 |
| 1909 | 61 |
| 1910 | 55 |
| 1911 | 66 |
| 1912 | 79 |
| 1913 | 99 |
| 1914 | 119 |
| 1915 | 144 |
| 1916 | 147 |
| 1917 | 135 |
| 1918 | 155 |
| 1919 | 142 |
| 1920 | 160 |
| 1921 | 143 |
| 1922 | 159 |
| 1923 | 181 |
| 1924 | 152 |
| 1925 | 144 |
| 1926 | 122 |
| 1927 | 131 |
| 1928 | 122 |
| 1929 | 127 |
| 1930 | 141 |
| 1931 | 104 |
| 1932 | 101 |
| 1933 | 132 |
| 1934 | 107 |
| 1935 | 115 |
| 1936 | 114 |
| 1937 | 100 |
| 1938 | 104 |
| 1939 | 108 |
| 1940 | 86 |
| 1941 | 90 |
| 1942 | 83 |
| 1943 | 71 |
| 1944 | 85 |
| 1945 | 78 |
| 1946 | 72 |
| 1947 | 87 |
| 1948 | 65 |
| 1949 | 68 |
| 1950 | 77 |
| 1951 | 82 |
| 1952 | 93 |
| 1953 | 89 |
| 1954 | 119 |
| 1955 | 144 |
| 1956 | 134 |
| 1957 | 109 |
| 1958 | 121 |
| 1959 | 119 |
| 1960 | 134 |
| 1961 | 182 |
| 1962 | 194 |
| 1963 | 203 |
| 1964 | 236 |
| 1965 | 355 |
| 1966 | 368 |
| 1967 | 400 |
| 1968 | 354 |
| 1969 | 384 |
| 1970 | 335 |
| 1971 | 395 |
| 1972 | 377 |
| 1973 | 297 |
| 1974 | 268 |
| 1975 | 261 |
| 1976 | 230 |
| 1977 | 217 |
| 1978 | 179 |
| 1979 | 181 |
| 1980 | 166 |
| 1981 | 170 |
| 1982 | 160 |
| 1983 | 148 |
| 1984 | 132 |
| 1985 | 131 |
| 1986 | 127 |
| 1987 | 130 |
| 1988 | 128 |
| 1989 | 106 |
| 1990 | 97 |
| 1991 | 80 |
| 1992 | 62 |
| 1993 | 47 |
| 1994 | 62 |
| 1995 | 49 |
| 1996 | 37 |
| 1997 | 39 |
| 1998 | 66 |
| 1999 | 52 |
| 2000 | 44 |
| 2001 | 44 |
| 2002 | 31 |
| 2003 | 47 |
| 2004 | 34 |
| 2005 | 26 |
| 2006 | 30 |
| 2007 | 38 |
| 2008 | 24 |
| 2009 | 39 |
| 2010 | 32 |
| 2011 | 26 |
| 2012 | 27 |
| 2013 | 30 |
| 2014 | 24 |
| 2015 | 41 |
| 2016 | 30 |
| 2017 | 33 |
| 2018 | 29 |
| 2019 | 23 |
| 2020 | 28 |
| 2021 | 34 |
| 2022 | 25 |
| 2023 | 39 |
| 2024 | 25 |
Ursula through the decades
- Ursula peaked in 1967, when 400 babies were named Ursula in the US.
- Ursula currently ranks #5,266 in the US and is holding steady.
Nicknames
Ursa
Variants & spellings
Orsola
Famous people named Ursula
- Ursula K. Le Guin — author