Ursula is a feminine

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a fa ...

in several different languages. The name is derived from a

diminutive A diminutive is a root word that has been modified to convey a slighter degree of its root meaning, either to convey the smallness of the object or quality named, or to convey a sense of intimacy or endearment. A (abbreviated ) is a word-formati ...

of the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

''ursa'', which means "

bear Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family Ursidae. They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Nor ...

". The name has been rather uncommon in the

English-speaking world Speakers of English are also known as Anglophones, and the countries where English is natively spoken by the majority of the population are termed the '' Anglosphere''. Over two billion people speak English , making English the largest languag ...

, although its use has been influenced since the twentieth century by the

Swiss Swiss may refer to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina *Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses *Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports *Swiss Internation ...

-born actress

Ursula Andress Ursula Andress (born 19 March 1936) is a Swiss-German actress, former model and sex symbol who has appeared in American, British and Italian films. Her breakthrough role was as Bond girl Honey Ryder in the first James Bond film, '' Dr. No'' (1962 ...

(born 1936). Other forms of the name include: *Úrsula is the variant form in Spanish (notice the

acute accent The acute accent (), , is a diacritic used in many modern written languages with alphabets based on the Latin, Cyrillic, and Greek scripts. For the most commonly encountered uses of the accent in the Latin and Greek alphabets, precomposed ch ...

) *

Ursule Ursule (Serbian Cyrillic: Урсуле) is a village in Šumadija and Western Serbia (Šumadija), in the municipality of Rekovac (Region of Levač), lying at , at the elevation The elevation of a geographic location is its height above or bel ...

is the variant form in

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

* Urszula is the variant form in

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...

*Uršulė is the variant form

Lithuanian Lithuanian may refer to: * Lithuanians * Lithuanian language * The country of Lithuania * Grand Duchy of Lithuania * Culture of Lithuania * Lithuanian cuisine * Lithuanian Jews as often called "Lithuanians" (''Lita'im'' or ''Litvaks'') by other Jew ...

Orsolya Orsolya is a Hungarian variant of Ursula meaning "little bear" or "bear cub", 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 ...

is the variant form in Hungarian *Urška is the variant form in

Slovenian Slovene or Slovenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Slovenia, a country in Central Europe * Slovene language, a South Slavic language mainly spoken in Slovenia * Slovenes The Slovenes, also known as Slovenians ( sl, Sloven ...

*Uršula is the variant form in Bosnian

People

Saint Ursula Saint Ursula (Latin for 'little female bear', german: link=no, Heilige Ursula) is a legendary Romano-British Christian saint who died on 21 October 383. Her feast day in the pre-1970 General Roman Calendar is 21 October. There is little infor ...

(died 383) *Ursula, theoretical founding ancestor of Haplogroup U (mtDNA) *

Ursula of Brandenburg, Duchess of Münsterberg-Oels Ursula of Brandenburg (25 September 1450 – 25 November 1508, Breslau) was a princess of Brandenburg by birth and by marriage Duchess of Münsterberg and Oels and Countess of Glatz. Life Ursula was the eldest child of the Elector Alb ...

(1450–1508), a princess of Brandenburg by birth * Ursula of Brandenburg (1488–1510), German noblewoman *

(born 1936), Swiss actress *

Ursula Appolloni Ursula Appolloni (née Carroll; 7 December 1929 – 28 December 1994) was a Canadian politician. She served in the House of Commons as a Liberal Member of Parliament for the Toronto ridings of York South and York South—Weston from 1974 t ...

(1929–1994), Canadian politician * Ursula Bagdasarjanz (born 1934), Swiss violinist *

Ursula Bloom Ursula Bloom (11 December 1892 – 29 October 1984) was a British novelist, biographer and journalist. Biography Ursula Harvey Bloom was born on 11 December 1892 in Springfield, Chelmsford, Essex, the daughter of the Reverend James Harvey Bl ...

(1892–1984), British novelist *

Ursula Buckel Ursula Buckel (11 February 1926 – 5 December 2005) was a German soprano singer, known for singing works of Johann Sebastian Bach. Career Born in the Thuringian town of Lauscha, Ursula Buckel studied singing in the School of Church Music in Br ...

(1925–2005), German soprano singer *

Ursula Burns Ursula M. Burns (born September 20, 1958) is an American businesswoman. Burns is mostly known for being the CEO of Xerox from 2009 to 2016, the first among black women to be a CEO of a Fortune 500 company, and the first woman to succeed another a ...

(born 1958), American businesswoman *

Ursula Caberta Ursula Caberta y Diaz (born 22 March 1950) is a German politician, former State of Hamburg government official and was the Commissioner for the Scientology Task Force of the Hamburg Interior Authority. She graduated in political economy. According ...

, (born 1950), German politician, critic of the Church of Scientology * Úrsula Corberó, (born 1989), Spanish actress * Lady Ursula d'Abo (1917–2017); English socialite * Ursula Dubosarsky (born 1961), Australian writer *

Ursula Engelen-Kefer Ursula Engelen-Kefer (born 20 June 1943) is a German politician who held the position of Deputy Chairman of the German Confederation of Trade Unions (Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund; DGB) from 1990 to 2006. She is currently a lecturer at the :de:Bun ...

(born 1943), German labor leader * Ursula Eriksson (born 1967), Swedish murderer accused of manslaughter in Britain *

Ursula Fanthorpe Ursula Askham Fanthorpe, CBE, FRSL (22 July 1929 – 28 April 2009) was an English poet, who published as U. A. Fanthorpe. Her poetry comments mainly on social issues. Life and work Born in south-east London, Fanthorpe was the daughter of a jud ...

(1929–2009), British poet * Ursula Franklin (1921–2016), Canadian metallurgist *

Ursula Gauthier Ursula Gauthier is a French journalist and sinologist. Gauthier was a reporter in China for ''L'Obs''. In December 2015, her visa was not renewed and she was forced to leave the country after she published an article about Uyghurs in Xinjiang whic ...

, French journalist *

Ursula Gibson Ursula J. Gibson is a materials scientist who specialises in novel core optical fibres. Early life and education Gibson was born in Sheffield, England, and moved to the US in the 1960s, living in the Philadelphia area, then Ithaca, New York. ...

, American physicist *

Uschi Glas Helga Ursula "Uschi" Glas (; born 2 March 1944), sometimes credited as Ursula Glas, is a German actress in film, television and on stage, and a singer. Biography Born in Landau an der Isar, Bavaria, Glas started appearing in films in 1965. ...

(born 1944), German actress *

Ursula Goodenough Ursula W. Goodenough (born March 16, 1943) is a Professor of Biology Emerita at Washington University in St. Louis were she engaged in research on eukaryotic algae. She authored the textbook ''Genetics'' and the best-selling boo''The Sacred Dep ...

(born 1943), American biologist and writer * Ursula Hayden (born 1966), American professional wrestler, actress, and business woman *

Ursula Haubner Ursula Haubner (born 22 December 1945) is an Austrian politician of the Alliance for the Future of Austria (BZÖ), formerly of the Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ). Early life and education Haubner was born in Bad Goisern, Upper Austria, and to ...

(born 1945), Austrian politician *

Ursula Hegi Ursula Hegi (born May 23, 1946) is a German-born American writer. She is currently an instructor in the MFA program at Stony Brook Southampton. She was born Ursula Koch in 1946 in Düsseldorf, Germany, a city that was heavily bombed during World ...

(born 1946), American author *

Ursula Herrmann Ursula may refer to: * Ursula (name), feminine name and a list of people and fictional characters with the name *Ursula (album), ''Ursula'' (album), an album by American jazz pianist Mal Waldron *Ursula (crater), a crater on Titania, a moon of Uran ...

(died 1981), German female murder victim *

Ursula Holden-Gill Ursula Holden-Gill is an English Actress and Dramatherapist, best known for her roles as school secretary Carol on Channel 4's comedy drama ''Teachers'' (2001–2004), Alice Dingle on ITV's soap opera ''Emmerdale'' (2004–2006) and Miss Fitzger ...

(born 1974), British actress *

Ursula Howells Ursula Howells (17 September 1922 – 16 October 2005) was an English actress whose elegant presence kept her much in demand for roles in film and television. Life and career Howells was born in London, the daughter of composer Herbert Howells, ...

(1922–2005), British actress * Ursula Henderson, South Australian politician * Ursula Jeans (1906–1973), British actress * Ursula Karven (born 1964), German actress * Uschi Keszler (born 1948), German figure skater * Ursula King (born 1938), German scholar of religion *

Ursula Koch Ursula Koch (born 1 July 1941) is a former Swiss politician, and was the first woman president of the Social Democratic Party of Switzerland (SP). Early life Ursula Koch was born in Zürich, Switzerland in 1941 into a stateless Jewish family. ...

(born 1941), Swiss politician *

Ursula Kübler Ursula Vian-Kübler (6 September 1928 – 18 January 2010) was a Swiss ballerina and actress. Biography Ursula Kübler was born on 6 September 1928 in Zürich, Switzerland, to Alva Giertz and Arnold Kübler. She joined the Oper Zürich as a da ...

(1928–2010), Swiss ballerina and actress *

Ursula Ledóchowska Julia Ledóchowska, USAHJ (17 April 1865 – 29 May 1939) - in religious Maria Ursula of Jesus - was a Polish Catholic nun and the foundress of the Ursulines of the Agonizing Heart of Jesus. Ledóchowska was a prolific supporter of Polish indepe ...

(1865–1939), Austrian-born Polish religious leader *

Ursula Lehr Ursula Lehr née Leipold (5 June 1930 – 25 April 2022) was a German academic, age researcher and politician. She was the first professor of gerontology in Germany, with a chair at the University of Heidelberg from 1986. She served as federal ...

(1930–2022), German academic and politician *

Ursula K. Le Guin Ursula Kroeber Le Guin (; October 21, 1929 – January 22, 2018) was an American author best known for her works of speculative fiction, including science fiction works set in her Hainish universe, and the '' Earthsea'' fantasy series. She was ...

(1929–2018), American author *

Ursula von der Leyen Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen (; Albrecht, born 8 October 1958) is a German politician who has been serving as the president of the European Commission since 2019. She served in the Cabinet of Germany, German federal government between 2005 an ...

(born 1958), German politician and current President of the European Commission *

Ursula Martinez Ursula Martinez (born 1966) is a British theatre maker, performer and director. She grew up in South London, the daughter of an English father and Spanish mother, both teachers. After graduating in French and Theatre at Lancaster University, sh ...

(born 1966), British writer and performer *

Úrsula Micaela Morata Ursula Micaela Morata ( Cartagena, Spain, 21 October 1628 – Alicante, Spain, 9 January 1703) was a nun, mystic, and founder of the convent of the Capuchin Poor Clares in Alicante, Spain. Childhood Born into a well-to-do family, Morata was the ...

(1628–1703), Spanish nun *

Ursula Mommens Ursula Frances Elinor Mommens (née Darwin, formerly Trevelyan; 20 August 1908 – 30 January 2010) was an English potter. Mommens studied at the Royal College of Art, under William Staite Murray, and later worked with Michael Cardew at Winch ...

(1908–2010), British potter *

Úrsula Murayama Úrsula Murayama ( born 1972 in Mexico City, Mexico) is a Mexican actress. She currently lives in Spain. Biography and career Murayama is the best known for the role of Jacinta in ''Esmeralda (Mexican TV series), Esmeralda'' (1997). The main he ...

, (born 1972) Mexican actress *

Ursula Niebuhr Ursula Mary Niebuhr (August 3, 1907 – January 10, 1997) was an English American academic and theologian. She was the founder and longtime head of the Department of Religion at Barnard College in New York City, USA. She was born in Southampton, E ...

(1908–1997), American theologian *

Uschi Obermaier Ursula "Uschi" Obermaier (; born 24 September 1946) is a former fashion model and actress associated with the 1968 left-wing movement in Germany. She is considered an iconic sex symbol of the so-called "1968 generation" and the protests of 1968. ...

(born 1946), German model and actress * Ursula O'Leary (1926-1993), English actress *

Ursula Plassnik Ursula Plassnik (born 23 May 1956) is an Austrian diplomat and politician. She was Foreign Minister of Austria between October 2004 and December 2008. She has served as the Austrian ambassador to Switzerland from 2016 to 2021. Early life and ca ...

(born 1956), Austrian politician *

Ursula Pole, Baroness Stafford Ursula Pole, Baroness Stafford (c. 1504 – 12 August 1570) was an English noblewoman; the wife of Henry Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford; a wealthy heiress and the only daughter of Margaret Pole, 8th Countess of Salisbury. Her mother was the last sur ...

(c. 1504 – 1570), English noblewoman * Ursula Ratasepp (born 1982), Estonian actress *

Ursula Reit Ursula Reit ( Schedereit; 5 March 1914 – 9 November 1998) also Ursula Reith, was a German television and movie actress, best known for her role as Mrs. Gloop, the mother of Golden Ticket winner Augustus Gloop in ''Willy Wonka & the Chocolate ...

(1914–1998), German actress *

Ursula Rucker Ursula Rucker is an American spoken word recording artist. Rucker is known for a diverse repertoire, and for using techniques that catch her listeners' attention. Biography Rucker was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she wa ...

, American recording artist *

Ursula von Rydingsvard Ursula von Rydingsvard (née Karoliszyn; born 1942) is a sculptor who lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. She is best known for creating large-scale works influenced by nature, primarily using cedar and other forms of timber. Early life and ...

(born 1942), American sculptor * Ursula Schäppi (born 1941), Swiss actress, playwright and comedian *

Ursula Schleicher Ursula Schleicher (born 15 May 1933) is a German Christian Social Union in Bavaria politician and harpist who served two terms in the Bundestag from 1972 to 1980 and five terms in the European Parliament between 1979 and 2004. She served as state ...

(born 1933), German politician and harpist *

Ursula Southeil Ursula Southeil ( 1488 – 1561; also variously spelt as Ursula Southill, Ursula Soothtell or Ursula Sontheil), popularly known as Mother Shipton, is said to have been an English soothsayer and prophetess. She has sometimes been described as ...

(1488–1561), English soothsayer *

Ursula Stephens Ursula Mary Stephens (; born 7 July 1954) is a former Australian politician. She served as a Senator for New South Wales from 2002 to 2014, representing the Australian Labor Party (ALP). She was a parliamentary secretary in the Rudd and Gill ...

(born 1954), Australian politician * Ursula Vernon (born 1977), American artist and writer * Ursula Vaughan Williams (1911–2007), British poet *

Ursula Moray Williams Ursula Moray Williams (19 April 1911 – 17 October 2006) was an English children's author of nearly 70 books for children. '' Adventures of the Little Wooden Horse'', written while expecting her first child, remained in print throughout her l ...

(1911–2006), British author *

Ursula Wyss Ursula Wyss (born 8 February 1973 in Davos) is a Swiss politician and economist. She represented the Canton of Bern in the Swiss National Council as member of the Social Democratic Party of Switzerland (SP) from 6 December 1999 to 3 March 2013 ...

(born 1973), Swiss economist and politician * Urszula Zamoyska (1750–1808), Polish noblewoman and socialite

Fictional characters

*Ursula, in the play '' Much Ado About Nothing'' by

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

*Ursula the Pig Woman, proprietor of a hot food stall and public lavatory, in the 1614 play '' Bartholomew Fayre: A Comedy'' by

Ben Jonson Benjamin "Ben" Jonson (c. 11 June 1572 – c. 16 August 1637) was an English playwright and poet. Jonson's artistry exerted a lasting influence upon English poetry and stage comedy. He popularised the comedy of humours; he is best known for t ...

*Ursula Brangwen, in the 1915 novel ''

The Rainbow ''The Rainbow'' is a novel by British author D. H. Lawrence, first published by Methuen & Co. in 1915. It follows three generations of the Brangwen family living in Nottinghamshire, focusing particularly on the individual's struggle to growth ...

'' and the 1920 novel ''

Women in Love ''Women in Love'' (1920) is a novel by English author D. H. Lawrence. It is a sequel to his earlier novel ''The Rainbow'' (1915) and follows the continuing loves and lives of the Brangwen sisters, Gudrun and Ursula. Gudrun Brangwen, an artist, ...

'' by

D. H. Lawrence David Herbert Lawrence (11 September 1885 – 2 March 1930) was an English writer, novelist, poet and essayist. His works reflect on modernity, industrialization, sexuality, emotional health, vitality, spontaneity and instinct. His best-k ...

*Úrsula Iguarán, in the 1967 novel '' One Hundred Years of Solitude'' by Gabriel García Márquez *Ursula Merkle, in the 1960 musical '' Bye Bye Birdie'' *Ursula, on the 1967 animated television series ''

George of the Jungle ''George of the Jungle'' is an American animated television series produced and created by Jay Ward and Bill Scott, who also created ''The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show''. The character George was inspired by the story of Tarzan and a cartoon char ...

'' and the 1997 live-action film adaptation of the same name *Ursula, in the 1989 Studio Ghibli film '' Kiki's Delivery Service'' * Ursula, from the 1989

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

film ''The Little Mermaid'' *

Ursula Buffay Various characters appeared in the sitcom ''Friends'' and its spin-off series ''Joey'', which respectively aired for ten seasons and two seasons on NBC from 1994 to 2006. ''Friends'' featured six main cast members: Rachel Green-Geller (Jennifer ...

, in the 1990s television sitcoms '' Mad About You'' and ''

Friends ''Friends'' is an American television sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting ten seasons. With an ensemble cast starring Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa ...

'' *Ursula, in the 1996 film '' Set It Off'' *Ursula, in the 1997 animated television series ''Pokémon'' *Ursula Hanson, a police dispatcher in the 2001 film ''

Super Troopers ''Super Troopers'' is a 2001 American comedy film directed by Jay Chandrasekhar and written by and starring the Broken Lizard comedy group (Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter and Erik Stolhanske). Marisa Coughlan, Daniel ...

'' *Ursula, in the 2003 video game '' Fire Emblem'' *Ursula, in the 2004 comic strip '' Brewster Rockit'' *Ursula Hartmann, from the 2006 anime/manga series ''

Strike Witches is a Japanese media mix originally created by Fumikane Shimada via a series of magazine illustration columns. The franchise has since been adapted into several light novel, manga, and anime series and various video games. ...

'' *Ursula, in the 2006 video game '' Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops'' * Úrsula, in the 2006 television series ''

Skimo ''Skimo'' is a comedy sitcom made in Mexico. It is produced by Nickelodeon Latin America and Macias Group International. The show first aired on 15 May 2006, and ran at 8:00 pm for the first two seasons. In the third season of the show, it was ...

'' *Ursula Beresford Todd, in the 2013 novel '' Life After Life'' by Kate Atkinson *Ursula, name given to Elizabeth and George Warleggan's daughter in the season 4 finale and fifth season of ''Poldark'' *Ursula Callistis, in the 2017 animated television series ''

Little Witch Academia is a Japanese anime franchise created by Yoh Yoshinari and produced by Trigger. The original short film, directed by Yoshinari and written by Masahiko Otsuka, was released in theaters in March 2013 as part of the Young Animator Train ...

'' *Ursula, from '' Xenoblade Chronicles 2''

References

External links

Getting Closer to Nature: The Power of Animal Names - NamepediA Blog
{{given name English feminine given names English-language feminine given names German feminine given names Estonian feminine given names