What does Ursula Mean

January 3, 2003 in Family

What does Ursula Mean

45 Comments
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Below you will find information on the origin and meaning of name URSULA:
Ursula, a 3-syllable girl’s name of Latin origin, means: A female bear.
Ursula’s ethnic backgrounds include Irish, German and Hispanic.
{Note: My own ethnic roots are Black/Caribbean.}
Entertainers with this name include Ursula Andress (the first Bond girl). {Note: This is who my mother named me after.}
Nicknames for Ursula are Nullie, Orsa, Ursi, Ursie, Ursulette, Ursulina and Ursy. {Note: I do not answer to any of these nicknames. Only Urs or UBee.}
Other names associated with Ursula are Orsola, Ursa, Ursala, Ursel, Ursola, Ursule and Ursuline.
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Now my middle name PETULA:
Petula, a 3-syllable girl’s name of Latin origin, means: Seeker; to ask.
Nicknames for Petula are Pet and Petulah.
Other names associated with Petula are Petulia.
To research your own name, go to Women.com Name Finder.

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45 Comments

  1. March 22, 2018 at 2:36 am

    Ursula Hegger

    We rock! It is what it is.❤️❤️????????????

  2. September 30, 2008 at 3:24 am

    UrsaBurst

    hey! my name is also ursula my initials also spell URS. my nicknames are urs, ursie, ursbear, and ursaburst which is my fav. nickname. my dad named me after a girl he went to high school with he thought she was beautiful with a beautiful name and when i was born he thought i was so beautiful lol so that how i got my name…im glad i got ursula otherwise my mother would have named me amanda eww so plain. lol but i too had a tough time growing up with my name i was already different from all the other kids because our family didnt celebrate like christmas or anything. but i love my name and it totally shaped me into the individual i am today and i want my kids to have beautiful individual names as well not just a plain common one.

  3. August 29, 2008 at 2:40 pm

    Ursula Doris

    heya, my name’s Ursula and im 16 but everyone calls me suli or suli-bear, i dont mind ursula so much any more but i used to hate it as a kid because of the sea witch, who terrified me :p im half irish / half scottish and i love having a unique name unlike the millions of people called jane or clare or emma. everyone knows who i am and its made me want to be different and stand out from the crowd, i cant imagine anything worse than being ordinary.

  4. July 19, 2008 at 8:15 pm

    Ursula Avery

    Hiya! My name is Ursula Avery, also born in 1968, also named after Ursula Andress. Im British born with ethnic origin of usa/scotland. er!!!!!!! yeah i know, what a mix. I hated being the only Ursula when i was small and always being compared to Ursula Andress. “Always thought this was wierd as im mixed race”. Hey! each to their own. I now love my name as i class it as unique. I actually feel quite bemused and flattered at being compared to Ursula Andress now too. Hello to all Ursula’s. What a great world we live in.

  5. April 8, 2008 at 7:10 pm

    Libby Andress

    Finding my comment from three years ago I see it needs more explanation. I was too short in explanation. I found the coincidence of Ursula being associated with lesbian bears funny since Andress is also associated with strong matriarchs. This has more to do with believing Ursula Andress is a mythical fantastic human being. And I thought her last name might be telling of her first name as well.

  6. December 26, 2007 at 1:18 pm

    Ursala Dawson

    Hi I am Ursala, yes with 2 a’s. I am glad to read about all my sisters on the web. We are unique people. I love my name. Take care!

  7. November 30, 2007 at 9:11 am

    Ursula Mullerq

    Cool! A whole page full of Ursulas. I was born in 1968 and I think my dad must have had a thing for Ursula Andress too. Though he was German..and of course the name is mighty popular there. I tend to be known as Urshie.
    Ursula Muller.

  8. November 25, 2007 at 10:55 pm

    Ursula Waller

    Hi, I just came across this page again 3 years later! I was about to comment about how cool it was when I came across the post I left in 2004. Just wanted to leave another comment. “Nursula” you rock! I’m a nurse too! I’e been a nurse for 7 years now.

  9. September 8, 2007 at 9:23 pm

    Ursala Bell

    Hi,
    Another African/Carribean American named Ursala (although mine is spelt with 2 a’s instead of 2 u’s). I have found it odd that, Ursus = male bear, Ursa = female bear, yet everyone still usually spells it, Urs-u-la. I have always been fond of my name I think it entitles us to be unique, and intriging people. Which most say you can tell by the way we smile, talk, and sashay. I was named my name as it tells a story (just as my brothers names do),but I won’t get into the story.*** Smile we are the blessed ones to be named like the Stars we are***

  10. July 21, 2007 at 3:52 pm

    Ursula Heath

    Hey there! I never realised there were so many different people named Ursula… I was named after my mum’s sister, whose name was quite randomly chosen I think- all the rest of my family have pretty common names. So apart from my auntie I’ve never met another Ursula before! I think it’s a pretty cool name, though the whole sea witch thing gets frustrating- can’t count how many times i must’ve heard it. I think despite some confusion with new people pronouncing/spelling/remebering it it’s pretty good to have an unusual name that makes you stand out a bit- I reckon i’ll definately give my kids unusual names too.
    Power to all the Ursulas…

  11. February 18, 2007 at 9:18 pm

    Ursula Bell

    Hi, I love your site, didn’t realize there is actually a site for ursula. I would like to post my name to it. I always liked my name growing up in Germany. Everyone called me Ursie except my brother who always called my by my full name Ursula which I really liked. I live in Toronto, Canada and sometimes people have trouble understanding my name, I guess it is my German accent. Anyway, I want to say hello to all the Ursula’s out there.

  12. August 6, 2006 at 6:42 pm

    Ursula "Ursh" Skomolo

    When i was still young i dididn’t like my name because i thought it was weird, you write it differently than you pronounce it. But now i’m grown i love it to bits and now it pisses me off when people pronounce and write it badly.
    it’s may sound weird but the other meaning for Ursula is a nun then the Ursuline that is where the nuns live (i forgot what country is associated with this name). It cool to see that there are many Ursula’s there in the world.
    LOVE Ursula “Ursh” Skomolo

  13. July 27, 2006 at 9:37 am

    Ursula Perry

    Hello fellow Ursulas! How cool is this? I live in Florida, I’m a taurus, half Ukrainian, half mutt (english, seneca indian, irish, german, swedish…you name it and it’s there). I have only ever met one other Ursula and it was in passing. It took me a long time to like my name. Partly because when I was a kid it was soooo cool to have stuff with your name on it…like pencils, stickers, bracelets, etc. And of course, we could never find Ursula. 🙁
    Here’s the horrible thing, I got called “Ursula Sunshine”. Isn’t that horrible!! For those of you who don’t know the story: It’s a child abuse case of a little girl named Ursula Sunshine Asaid. Her mom and her mom’s boyfriend abused her and the boyfriend ended up killing her. I think she was like 4 or 5 and oh so very adorable. There was a book published and you wouldn’t believe how many kids I went to school with read it. Made me feel awful.
    The Little Mermaid came out when I was in high school and of course I got the seawitch thing too. Jeez!
    Other than that I usually go by Ursie but am also called Urs and UrsieUrsieLaLaLa (long story). I like my name now. I think it’s beautiful and fits my personality. I wasn’t named for anyone according to my parents, they just liked the sound of it. Kinda weird though, I’m the oldest of 4 girls and my sisters have somewhat common names, Nicole (Nikki), Cassandra (Cassie), and Jessica (Jessie). I’m the odd one. I am the dominant sibling but I just assumed it’s all b/c I’m the oldest, but maybe having a more unique name than my sisters also helped. It’s funny, I remember whenever one of my parents would call out one of our names we would all end up coming cause we usually only heard the “EEE” at the end.
    Anyway, this is long and I’ve bored you enough. Rock on Ursies!!!!!! I love ya!
    Ursula “Ursie” Perry

  14. December 21, 2005 at 6:58 pm

    Ursula Owen

    Dude. Hardcore Ursula action. I’m not really sure who I was named for- I think my mom just loved the Latin. Still, not a bad name for a bookworm in elementary and a hippy in middle and high school and current quasi-non-hipster. Word out to all the ‘Urs’ and ‘Ursie’s- did anyone ever get ‘Ursulita’? I used to browbeat my mom for inflicting not one but two diminutives on me. Which reminds me- it’s actually ‘a LITTLE female bear’. Ursus = male bear, ursa = female bear, ursula = little/baby female bear. Rawk.

  15. December 19, 2005 at 7:10 am

    Libby Andress

    my last name is Andress (Ursula Andress) and interestingly the Andress name comes from a scottish clan that was matriarchial (women had control over lineage) since the name ursula andress seems to fit her so well, perhaps ursula means just a dominant and powerful woman. people always assume powerful and dominant means lesbian which is so stupid.

  16. December 3, 2005 at 1:57 am

    Ursula Gross

    Wow — I didn’t realize so many Ursulas had come together in one spot! Ahh, the beauty of google. I am named after BOTH my mother and my grandmother, which is lovely. The name is certainly unique, and paired with “Gross” (my last name), a little frustrating at times, too. But I wouldn’t change it, and, yes, I am going to name my daughter Ursula, whenever that may be.
    Good to e-meet you all!

  17. August 9, 2005 at 9:47 pm

    Ursula Eunice Littlejohn

    Hi all!
    I just happened across this site while out web surfing. I’m glad to see that I am not the only African-American Ursula in the U.S. 🙂
    My mother selected my name soley based on it’s originality. She wanted a “different” name. Ursula had to be as different as it came for African-Americans in NC during the early 1970’s(1972).
    I just wanted to share my story after seeing so many parallels from my own life in the postings above.
    My nickmames are: Urs, Urs-Dogg, Ursie and I have never watched the Little Mermaid 🙂
    Thanks for the site..
    Ursula E. Littlejohn

  18. December 5, 2004 at 2:55 pm

    Nursula or Urs the Nurse

    Yet another Ursula to add to the list! I was born on August 10th, a day before the site’s owner (and a few years earlier). I love being a Leo and I love my unique name. I wasn’t fond of my name as a kid either and was called some of the same awful nicknames that others were. As an adult, I answer to Urs, but only to my close friends. I’m a Registered Nurse, so at work I am known as Nursula or Urs the Nurse.
    My Mom picked out this name when she was 18 years old. She went to see the Broadway Musical, “Bye Bye Birdie” and there was a character named Ursula. She loved the character and she loved the actor who played her, so she decided that someday she would have a daughter and her name would be Ursula. Some years later, she named me when she was 6 months pregnant. She didn’t pick out any boy names, even though she didn’t know if I would be a girl, but … here I am!
    I have a tatoo with a mother and a baby bear, to represent Ursa major and Ursa minor. I had fun reading through all the Ursula stories on the website. It’s interesting to see all the people who share this unique name. I’m glad that my Mother chose this name and I do think it helps to remind me that I am a special and unique individual. Thanks for the website!

  19. November 17, 2004 at 5:17 pm

    ڲs?rom Iceland

    HI I am from Iceland and here the name is not so popular but has been in my family for ages or from 1737 and it is always past on through generations. I have had problem with the name in my childhood because it is a litle simmilar to the Icelandic word “ڲgangur” means “garbage or waste” and was used as “ڲgangss?uot; loosle translated as garbage-pole. Today I have no problem with the name but nick-name I have is ” Sula ” and I only answer that from close relatives.

  20. October 26, 2004 at 8:04 pm

    Ursula Waller

    Hi!
    I’m a 26 year African American in GA! I love my name! I’ve never had problems with it. I thought it was wild to find sooo many from sooo many different places with the same name. Cool!

  21. September 21, 2004 at 5:01 am

    Ursula Mahluza

    Hi.Am Ursula fro
    m Nairobi in Kenya..I love my name and have no regrets about it.My friends all love the name and on top of it all,I know that it is a unique name given to some special gals whom God has a good idea about.So Ursula`s,hold your heads up high!!!!!!!
    Ursula.

  22. September 5, 2004 at 6:18 am

    Ursula F.

    My name is Ursula. I am also Black (Black & Chinese). It is rare to meet another Ursula who is not Polish, German, Swedish, or otherwise. I was made fun of a lot myself. There were the references to the Sea Witch, George of the Jungle’s GF, Phoebe from “Friends” porn-star twin sister…And whenever the name Ursula is played in film or TV, it is either a Blond Bimbo or elderly hag. On the TV SHOW NIGHT COURT, Dan had a date with a Blond Bimbo named Ursula. I also was called in school nicknames such as “Urslut” “Uterurs” “Urshole” but I beat all those people up! Just kidding! It happens to be a beautiful European name, for all those losers who think that it is weird.

  23. August 12, 2004 at 9:48 pm

    Ursula P.

    WOW!! I had no idea there were so many of us! I just want to say that I too had a hard time growing up with the name (lots of teasing) however I have grown to like it as I have gotten older & people often tell me it fits my unique personality. BTW I was actually named after a friend of my father’s- not the actress (but I do get asked that alot) 🙂

  24. June 7, 2004 at 5:46 am

    Simone

    I have two friends called Ursula. They hardly use their first name. One goes by the nickname “Uschi” and the other one’s called “Sushi”… In Germany where I am from Ursula is still a very common name!

  25. May 22, 2004 at 1:00 am

    Ursula Bell

    Hi Ursula! I’m Ursula! 🙂 I was also named after Ursula Andreas. So thanks to my parents I’ve been stuck with this name my whole life. 🙁 However, I never knew what the name actually meant. A female bear? I would have never guessed that. I guess that’s nice to know now. 🙂 Anyway, great site! Keep up the good work.
    Ursula Bell
    http://www.giftsbyursula.com
    info@giftsbyursula.com

  26. April 20, 2004 at 9:16 pm

    Ursula in Brazil

    I’m a 22 years old from Brazil and used to hate my name when i was younger. I agree with all the Ursulas here that say that this is a name hard to grow up with. Needless to say that when the Little Mermaid came out it was hell.
    I’ve never met any other Ursula and precisely because of that I fell in love with my name as I was growing up. Having such a unique name does play a big role in my personality, it makes me feel more confident and happier about who I am.

  27. April 14, 2004 at 7:33 am

    Urusla Brown

    Oh also I was name after Ursula Andress my Dad is in Love with her!

  28. April 14, 2004 at 7:32 am

    Urusla Brown

    Wow I had no idea how many Ursula their are. in school all my life I have always been the only Ursula MY NICKNICK THAT MY Dad and Boyfriend call me is UB or Urs

  29. April 4, 2004 at 7:24 pm

    Ursula Wood

    I was born after the Little Mermaid, and my parents still named me Ursula. Woe.
    There are just so many name-calling opportunities here. I am called ‘Urslug’ when I’m going too slow, Ursie when people try to make me sound cutesy (I’m not) and, my personal favorite, ‘Mercy Ursie Octopus’. Mercy because it rhymes, and ‘Octopus’ because of the movie. It does indeed suck to live in the Bible Belt.
    On the upside, stars are the coolest things ever. I just don’t want to be around when the other kids figure it out and start calling me Little Dipper.

  30. February 26, 2004 at 8:04 pm

    Ursula Johnson

    I was born in 1968…. I was also named after Ursula Andress the James Bond girl…. Daddy was in loveeeeeeee…..
    Growing up it was a hard name to have… I lived in Florida and had teachers that would only call me Ms. Johnson…. I hated my name…. (having a lisp didnt help me pronounce it either).
    As I aged I grew into it…. although it has been challenging at times.
    It was funny for awhile when adults couldnt pronouce it but children could…. The Little Mermaid….
    Or how about the thousand phone calls I received after Pheobe on Friends “De Ursulized” a stalker that was mistakenly stalking Pheobe instead of her twin – Ursula….
    I have grown to love my name… although I am no longer a solitary creature…. I live in the Atlanta Area and there are three Ursula Johnson’s in the area that I know of…. also I am now in real estate and there are 2 other Ursula real estate agents in the Metro Atlanta area… one in the same little town that I live in…. she is from Germany and is in her late 80’s…
    It used to be a name to have that when someone called it out you knew that they were talking to you…. now you just never know….

  31. February 19, 2004 at 4:50 pm

    Ursula Davis

    Ursula’s ROCK!!!

  32. January 13, 2004 at 5:22 am

    Sesso

    ” I have just found out that somebody in Toronto thinks it would be a great idea to call all lesbian bears Ursula”
    hmm…

  33. December 17, 2003 at 5:11 pm

    Ursula Gray

    Hey I like your site. I’m an African American girl and I love my name. It’s very Unique and everyone always remembers it.

  34. December 6, 2003 at 3:08 pm

    ursula johnson

    Hello! my name is ursula johnson. I am 12 years old from England.I am called Ursula because my mum went to a St Ursuline convent when she was little and she had to think of an unusual name becase my elder sister has an unusual name (Mylene) and she still thinks its a pretty and cute name and I do too!!! if there are any more 12 ish old Ursulas around … CONTACT ME PLEASE!!!

  35. November 5, 2003 at 1:15 pm

    URSULA DAVIS

    Well,I’m 19 & I’m from Florida. When I was younger people used to pick on my name. But, as I got older a lot of people started complimenting me on my name. I was never discriminated because I love my name I think it’s unique.

  36. November 2, 2003 at 9:40 pm

    david

    i’m thinking of naming our next child ursula. i once met an austrian woman named ursula on a plane out of new york city. she was stunning and very articulate. she lived in barcelona. and she had this warmth and sensitivigy not found in many women that i wondered if she got it from having such a unique name. we talked a lot about books and philosphy and our goals in the arts. on our four hour trip across the country, i fell in love with her. then i never saw each other again.
    was wondering if any of you feel having the name of ursula has affected who you are?

  37. November 2, 2003 at 9:40 pm

    david

    i’m thinking of naming our next child ursula. i once met an austrian woman named ursula on a plane out of new york city. she was stunning and very articulate. she lived in barcelona. and she had this warmth and sensitivigy not found in many women that i wondered if she got it from having such a unique name. we talked a lot about books and philosphy and our goals in the arts. on our four hour trip across the country, i fell in love with her. then i never saw each other again.
    was wondering if any of you feel having the name of ursula has affected who you are?

  38. October 15, 2003 at 7:49 am

    Ursula Shontay Dawson

    I am 16 years old. People also get me mistaken with the sea witch from, “The Little Mermaid” and Jorge’s wife from, “Jorge of the Jungle.” I kind of like my name, but what black girl you know with the name Ursula? I am part white, though. I asked my mother where she gets my name from, but she wont tell me. She said, The Little Mermaid” movie wasn’t out when I was born. My nicknames are, Ursie, Urs, Ursulina, Urs-Dogg, Urs-Gotti, and Ursie-Boots. Mostly everybody calls me Urs or Ursie.

  39. October 6, 2003 at 9:25 pm

    Ursula Nicole Gay

    Hey i’m a 16 year old girl named URSULA. cool huh? or NOT. my whole life people have made fun of my name! Ursula (because of the Little Mermaid Movie)and Gay(Because..duh having the last name gay SUCKS!!!)Everyone thinks i was named after the Sea Witch or Ursula Andress, but i was named after the Star Constilations URSA MINOR and URSA MAJOR (my parents ran out of ideas or were dorks or someting)
    o well. LOVE YOUR SITE!!!!!!!!!!!!

  40. August 28, 2003 at 4:02 am

    Ursula Juliette Saeijs

    Hi there,
    I just wanted you to know that there are other nicknames for Ursula: Ursus (the real latin word) Urseltje and Ursepurs. These words seem a little weird but it’s dutch. And just like you I only listen to Ursula or Urs and nothing else.
    I wish you the best
    Greetings Ursula Juliette Saeijs

  41. June 9, 2003 at 3:09 pm

    Ursula13

    just for fun. While cruising movable type, I came across your blog. I have a daughter Jennifer that lives in Chicago still. I now live in a suburb of Philadelphia. I enjoy your writings. There aren’t many of us out there, so Ursula’s of the world unite.
    Ursula

    1. March 22, 2018 at 2:34 am

      Ursula Hegger

      our name is the Shit!

  42. April 10, 2003 at 8:32 pm

    Ursula "NoName"

    How ridiculous I am not lesbian, and it is a beautiful name, thats all. Grow up please

  43. March 20, 2003 at 12:04 pm

    nonemouse

    In the gay community, a Bear is usally a hairy, heavyset male. Perhaps a Bear in the lesbian community is a heavyset gal who doesn’t shave armpits or legs?

  44. February 26, 2003 at 4:18 am

    Ursula "RoguePixie"

    I have just found out that somebody in Toronto thinks it would be a great idea to call all lesbian bears Ursula. This is a bit presumptious and odd. I mean, I could understand calling all female bears Ursula but why do they have to be gay? Also, the woman has set up some kind of newsletter for those women who have a preference for female bears! The mind boggles.

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