Ursula is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Ursula means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Ursula across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Ursula has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Ursula is a girl name of Latin origin meaning “little bear”. A diminutive of the Latin ursa meaning she-bear.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 14,811 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 471 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 19 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 24 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 981 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Ursula per year, United States (1881 to 2025). United States peaked in 1967 (400/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1972 (70/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2003 (24/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 1998 (6/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1975 (4/yr).
Ursula has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1967, when it ranked #837 nationally (given to 449 babies that year).
Ursule · Ersel · Ersilia · Arsula · Ersell · Arzola · Ursel · Ursala
Not sure if it's the one? The best way to know is to see if your partner loves it too. Swipe baby names with your partner and match on the ones you both ❤️, free, no account needed to start.
Find your name together →