Baby Names US
girls' name ★ peaked 1967

Ursula

Meaning From Latin Ursula, the name of a fourth century saint Gender Girl Rank 2025 #4,747 Trend ↑ Rising 19%

From Latin Ursula, the name of a fourth century saint.

Rank 2025
#4,747
among girls · ↑535 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
29
named Ursula · +16% vs 2024
How common
1 in 55,423
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1967
400 babies
All-time total
14,811
#1,295 all-time among girls
First recorded
1881
in Social Security records

Ursula popularity over time

14,811 babies have been named Ursula since 1881, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.080.150.230.318801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1972Girls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Per year Change Best rank
1880s 121 12 – #499
1890s 279 28 +131% #470
1900s 460 46 +65% #447
1910s 1,141 114 +148% #511
1920s 1,441 144 +26% #527
1930s 1,126 113 -22% #557
1940s 785 79 -30% #751
1950s 1,087 109 +38% #808
1960s 2,810 281 +159% #474
1970s 2,740 274 -2% #477
1980s 1,398 140 -49% #890
1990s 591 59 -58% #1,576
2000s 357 36 -40% #3,164
2010s 295 30 -17% #3,756
2020s (to 2025) 180 30 +2% #3,906

Where Ursula is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 girls Implied rank
2026 30 0.02 outside top 500
2027 30 0.02 outside top 500
2028 30 0.02 outside top 500
2029 31 0.02 outside top 500
2030 31 0.02 outside top 500

The story of Ursula

Ursula is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #4,747 in 2025 with 29 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1881, 14,811 American babies have been named Ursula. Its peak came in 1967, when 400 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1960s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Ursula stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Ursula?

The median living Ursula is about 54 years old; half are between 43 and 61. An estimated 9,700 people named Ursula are alive in the United States today.

median 54 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Ursula year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank
2025 29 #4,747
2024 25 #5,282
2023 39 #3,906
2022 25 #5,294
2021 34 #4,235
2020 28 #4,747
2019 23 #5,603
2018 29 #4,762
2017 33 #4,376
2016 30 #4,726
2015 41 #3,756
2014 24 #5,620
2013 30 #4,745
2012 27 #5,246
2011 26 #5,348
2010 32 #4,601
2009 39 #4,009
2008 24 #5,944
2007 38 #4,124
2006 30 #4,801
2005 26 #5,107
2004 34 #4,167
2003 47 #3,184
2002 31 #4,175
2001 44 #3,194
2000 44 #3,164
1995 49 #2,586
1990 97 #1,576
1985 131 #1,108
1980 166 #912
1975 261 #609
1970 335 #555
1965 355 #505
1960 134 #919
1955 144 #808
1950 77 #1,052
1945 78 #855
1940 86 #751
1935 115 #610
1930 141 #578
1925 144 #608
1920 160 #567
1915 144 #525
1910 55 #559
1905 50 #484
1900 41 #530
1895 39 #470
1890 26 #523
1885 19 #499
1880 – –

Famous people named Ursula

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Ursula von der Leyen Ursula von der Leyen President of the European Commission since 2019 b. 1958 · Contemporary
  2. 2 Ursula K. Le Guin Ursula K. Le Guin American author (1929–2018) Contemporary
  3. 3 Ursula Andress Ursula Andress Swiss actress (born 1936) Contemporary
  4. 4 Ursula Kuczynski Ursula Kuczynski German spy and author (1907–2000) Contemporary
  5. 5 Ursula Burns Ursula Burns American businessperson b. 1958 · Contemporary
  6. 6 Ursula Franklin Ursula Franklin Canadian academic and activist (1921–2016) Contemporary
  7. 7 Ursula Karven Ursula Karven German actress, writer, model and yoga instructor b. 1964 · Contemporary
  8. 8 Ursula Plassnik Ursula Plassnik Austrian diplomat and politician b. 1956 · Contemporary
  9. 9 Ursula Meier Ursula Meier French-Swiss film director and screenwriter b. 1971 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Ursula, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Ursula?

The median living Ursula is about 54 years old. Half of all living Ursulas are between 43 and 61 years old.

How many people named Ursula are alive today?

An estimated 9,700 people named Ursula are alive in the United States, based on 14,811 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Ursula mean?

From Latin Ursula, the name of a fourth century saint.

How popular is the name Ursula in 2025?

Ursula ranked #4,747 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 29 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Ursula?

14,811 babies have been named Ursula in the United States since 1881, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Ursula most popular?

Ursula peaked in 1967, when 400 newborns received the name.

Is Ursula a boy or girl name?

Ursula is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Ursula rising or falling?

Ursula has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Will Ursula become more popular?

Ursula is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 31 girls named Ursula in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Ursula?

Well-known people named Ursula include Ursula von der Leyen (politician), Ursula K. Le Guin (writer), Ursula Andress (actor).

Names like Ursula

Names that sound and feel close to Ursula: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Ursula with similar names → More names starting with U →