Discover and Shortlist Your Perfect Baby Names!

Ursula as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Ursula

♡Add to my Name List

The baby name Ursula is a Female name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced UR-su-la (English: /ˈɜːrsjʊlə/ or /ˈɜrsjələ/; Spanish: /ˈuɾsula/).

Ursula is Latin in Origin.

Gender: Female
Syllables: 3.0
Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: UR-su-la (English: /ˈɜːrsjʊlə/ or /ˈɜrsjələ/; Spanish: /ˈuɾsula/)

What is the meaning of the name Ursula ?

The baby name Ursula is a Female name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced UR-su-la (English: /ˈɜːrsjʊlə/ or /ˈɜrsjələ/; Spanish: /ˈuɾsula/).

Ursula is Latin in Origin.

Ursula derives from Latin Ursula, a diminutive of ursa “she‑bear” (from ursus), meaning “little she‑bear.” Across classical and medieval imagery, the bear symbolized steadfast strength, courage, and fiercely protective motherhood; the name also subtly recalls the celestial “bears,” Ursa Major and Ursa Minor.

It spread through medieval Europe via the cult of Saint Ursula of Cologne, appearing in English records by the 13th century, flourishing in Catholic regions into the early modern era, and seeing a genteel revival in the 19th–20th centuries. Notable bearers include Swiss actress Ursula Andress and American author Ursula K. Le Guin, sustaining recognition despite modest English usage. Variants and related forms include Úrsula (Spanish, Portuguese), Ursule (French), Orsola/Orsolina (Italian), Orsolya (Hungarian), Urszula (Polish), Uršula (Slovene, Slovak), with diminutives Ulla (Scandinavian, German), Ursel and Uschi (German), Urška (Slovene), and Sula (English).

Ursula has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Ursula

Ursula von der Leyen Politician · Born 1958 · Germany Ursula von der Leyen is a prominent German politician, best known for serving as the President of the European Commission since 2019. Before this role, she was Germany's Minister of Defence from 2013 to 2019. Her leadership in the European Union has been pivotal in addressing issues like climate change and digital transformation. Ursula Andress Actor · Born 1936 · Switzerland Ursula Andress is a Swiss actress best known for her role as Honey Ryder in the James Bond film 'Dr. No'. Her performance in the 1962 movie made her an international star. She also appeared in films like 'Casino Royale' and 'Clash of the Titans'. Úrsula Corberó Actor · Born 1989 · Spain Úrsula Corberó is a Spanish actress best known for her role as Tokyo in the hit series 'La Casa de Papel' (Money Heist). Born in 1989, she has also appeared in films like 'The Tree of Blood' and 'Snake Eyes'.
Ursula Karven Actor · Born 1964 · Germany Ursula Karven is a German actress best known for her role in the popular TV series 'Tatort'. Born in 1964, she has also appeared in films like 'Fire, Ice and Dynamite' and 'Before I Say Goodbye'. Urszula Dudziak Actor · Born 1943 · Poland Urszula Dudziak is a Polish jazz singer known for her extraordinary vocal range and innovative use of electronic effects. She gained international fame with her hit song 'Papaya' in the 1970s, which became a dance sensation. Her collaborations with renowned musicians like Michal Urbaniak further cemented her status in the jazz world.

Ursula – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Girls 2012 #1 — 970
BW 0 #19 1 960
NA 0 #27 7 2,537
BN 0 #32 1 2,297
BI Girls 0 #33 1 726
MV Girls 0 #35 1 2,021
EE 0 #37 1 1,051
HN Girls 0 #38 1 884
ID 0 #39 1 2,238
MT 0 #43 1 1,767
CM 0 #55 2 2,592
CY 0 #60 1 1,632
LU 0 #65 2 2,830
Austria Girls 0 #73 1,203 1,885
SI 0 #75 6 1,612
AF 0 #76 1 1,883
Germany Girls 0 #87 5,006 4,949
JM 0 #92 2 3,714
ID Girls 0 #102 1 3,319
QA 0 #106 1 7,011
BN Girls 0 #113 2 5,459
Austria 0 #121 99 850
EE Girls 0 #122 17 1,888
CY Girls 0 #125 1 3,755
GR 0 #135 1 3,911
MU 0 #137 1 3,613
PA 0 #137 2 3,797
MT Girls 0 #147 7 3,773
BW Girls 0 #148 4 4,216
CR 0 #158 8 5,526
PR Girls 0 #164 4 3,171
SI Girls 0 #173 5 2,769
HR 0 #181 1 2,081
NA Girls 0 #181 44 7,146
PE 0 #181 136 6,350
LU Girls 0 #182 9 4,850
UY 0 #182 1 2,477
AE 0 #186 2 10,220
CZ 0 #186 1 3,154
Sweden Girls 2018 #187 2 1,665
AR 0 #192 2 2,915
DK 0 #200 7 5,198
LT Girls 0 #200 1 1,904
AO Girls 0 #210 8 4,575
PL 0 #210 3 2,600
HU Girls 0 #219 7 3,308
Germany 0 #224 253 2,542
PS 0 #226 1 5,692
AL Girls 0 #227 1 4,141
BG Girls 0 #230 2 3,559
IR 0 #230 2 4,221
GR Girls 0 #233 10 6,293
GH 0 #246 3 5,396
JP Girls 0 #247 5 6,592
PT 0 #249 2 4,161
EC Girls 0 #255 4 3,650
MO Girls 0 #260 4 7,056
NG 0 #268 5 5,926
DK Girls 0 #271 46 7,429
HR Girls 0 #275 15 3,687
JM Girls 0 #277 2 7,507
SG 0 #277 6 11,010
IL 0 #280 3 6,291
Canada Girls 2024 #281 5 2,795
TW Girls 0 #286 4 8,139
ZA 0 #289 159 14,421
PE Girls 0 #293 1,482 14,861
Finland 0 #296 12 830
GH Girls 0 #306 19 6,973
SA 0 #311 2 10,560
Finland Girls 0 #315 78 1,368
ZA Girls 0 #323 1,858 25,928
CZ Girls 0 #324 18 5,378
MU Girls 0 #325 27 8,539
KZ Girls 0 #327 6 5,862
GT 0 #335 4 5,948
JO Girls 0 #338 2 7,570
PL Girls 0 #341 14 5,096
QA Girls 0 #343 1 15,378
MY 0 #348 7 12,352
CL 0 #351 61 6,867
HK 0 #351 7 8,483
CN Girls 0 #352 8 8,829
BR 0 #353 8 5,969
SD Girls 0 #358 1 7,678
NL 0 #359 33 2,481
GH Boys 0 #361 1 8,138
MU Boys 0 #369 1 8,477
BO 0 #370 12 6,868
PH Girls 0 #378 13 13,098
PT Boys 0 #381 1 7,951
Spain Girls 0 #387 971 5,561
MX 0 #393 21 8,339
Spain 0 #401 52 2,326
France Girls 2021 #403 3 3,185
BD Girls 0 #405 2 8,413
EG 0 #412 1 6,387
UY Boys 0 #413 1 5,922
OM Girls 0 #416 9 15,987
CL Girls 0 #418 570 14,098
PT Girls 0 #426 26 7,952
PA Girls 0 #460 22 9,861
CO 0 #469 12 7,768
NL Girls 0 #472 599 5,933
GT Girls 0 #476 30 7,500
AR Boys 0 #481 3 7,628
RU Girls 0 #487 12 11,913
AR Girls 0 #491 109 8,289
CM Girls 0 #491 50 11,671
UY Girls 0 #491 20 6,731
CR Girls 0 #503 30 11,342
PA Boys 0 #505 1 9,305
KW Girls 0 #506 10 19,177
PS Girls 0 #509 15 10,981
CR Boys 0 #510 1 10,188
IR Girls 0 #511 20 8,334
Finland Girls 2026 #514 275 3,895
BO Girls 0 #531 81 9,488
AE Girls 0 #534 20 20,968
SG Girls 0 #567 20 18,916
CM Boys 0 #571 5 12,054
BH 0 #583 5 17,937
HK Girls 0 #587 29 16,104
IT Girls 0 #596 1,372 9,415
IL Girls 0 #607 11 11,648
IT 0 #616 99 4,183
LB 0 #621 38 13,263
IN Girls 0 #653 2 13,121
NG Girls 0 #666 122 15,093
CL Boys 0 #697 4 13,390
BR Girls 0 #752 192 12,708
SY 0 #767 1 11,684
BR Boys 0 #785 1 12,213
TN 0 #857 9 13,765
PE Boys 0 #862 17 14,506
MX Girls 0 #881 316 17,781
United States Girls 2024 #892 25 8,487
SA Girls 0 #917 19 25,931
CO Girls 0 #936 143 16,140
Germany Boys 0 #940 13 5,697
MY Girls 0 #940 55 24,821
EG Girls 0 #941 19 14,742
CO Boys 0 #978 4 15,656
MX Boys 0 #1,028 6 16,355
IN Boys 0 #1,039 1 16,750
MA 0 #1,119 10 20,986
ZA Boys 0 #1,155 24 25,619
MY Boys 0 #1,180 3 25,439
TR 0 #1,192 20 19,440
DZ 0 #1,227 8 20,130
IT Boys 0 #1,447 25 10,046

Ursula is popular in 83 countries — most recent births per country:

France
Ireland
United States
Canada
Scotland, United Kingdom

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Ursula

Ursula is predominantly a girl's name.
Ursula is a 3 syllable name, pronounced UR-su-la (English: /ˈɜːrsjʊlə/ or /ˈɜrsjələ/; Spanish: /ˈuɾsula/).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Ursa, Urszula, Úrsula, Uršula, Urša and Ursie.
Across languages, Ursula has these equivalents: Urszula (Polish), Úrsula (Spanish/Portuguese), Uršula / Urša (Slovenian/Croatian/Slavic), Orsola (Italian), Orsolya (Hungarian).
Yes, very popular — Ursula ranked #1 in Ireland in 2012, and appears in official birth registries across 7 countries.
Ursula ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2012).
Ursula's popularity is holding steady. It moved from #1 in 2006 to #1 in 2012 in Ireland.
Yes — 5 notable people named Ursula are in our database, including Ursula von der Leyen (Politician), Ursula Andress (Actor), Úrsula Corberó (Actor).