Gender Feminine
Pronounced Pron. /ˈɜɹ.sə.lə/(American English) /ˈɜː.sjʊ.lə/(British English) /ˈɜː.sə.lə/(British English) /ˈʊʁ.zu.la/(German) /ˈur.su.lɑ/(Finnish)  [key·simplify]

Meaning & History

Means "little bear", derived from a diminutive form of the Latin word ursa "she-bear". Saint Ursula was a legendary virgin princess of the 4th century who was martyred by the Huns while returning from a pilgrimage. In England the saint was popular during the Middle Ages, and the name came into general use at that time.

Related Names

Rootursus
VariantUrsella(English)
DiminutivesUlla, Ursel, Uschi(German)
Other Languages & CulturesUrsule(French) Orsolya(Hungarian) Orsola(Italian) Urszula, Ula(Polish) Úrsula(Portuguese) Uršula, Ula, Urša, Urška(Slovene) Úrsula(Spanish)
Same SpellingÚrsula, Uršula
User SubmissionsÚrsúla, Ùrsula, Uršuľa

Popularity

People think this name is

classic   mature   formal   upper class   natural   strong   refined   strange   complex   serious  

Name Days

Austria: January 20
Austria: October 21
Denmark: October 21
Estonia: October 21
Finland: October 21
Germany: October 21
Slovakia: October 21 (as Uršuľa)
Sweden: October 21

Images

The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula by Hans Memling (1489)The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula by Hans Memling (1489)

Categories

Entry updated December 1, 2024