Total births
14,811
Girls' name · since 1881
Ursula
Since 1881, U.S. Social Security records show 14,811 babies named Ursula, peaking in 1967. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #5153
- among girls today
- 14,811
- born since 1881
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 71%
- more common than other girls
14,811 babies have been named Ursula since 1881, making it today's #5153 girls' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Ursula has been recorded 14,811 times among girls since 1881, currently ranked #5153 nationally and more common than 71% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1960s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1881 to 2025.
- #5153 among girls today
- 14,811 born since 1881
- 1960s peak decade
- 71% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Ursula is currently the #5153 girls' name in America, more common than 71% of girls - 14,811 born since 1881, peaking in the 1960s.
- #5153
- among girls today
- 14,811
- born since 1881
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 71%
- more common than other girls
Ursula vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#5153
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 71% of names given to girls today.
1960s
Peak decade
19% of everyone ever named Ursula was born in this single decade.
1967
Single peak year
400 babies were named Ursula in 1967 - its busiest year on record.
How Ursula compares
14,811 Top 7% higher than 93% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Ursula's all-time total is 39x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Ursula | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 14,811 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 400 | 48 | 19,840 |
Ursula's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Ursula's full recorded timeline at 1953, 62% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 38% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1881, with just 6 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1967 peak of 400 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Ursula at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1967
Current rank
#5,153
Active since
1881
Ursula popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1881–2025
- Peak year (1967)
- 400
- Annual births at peak, across 145 years of records
Ursula by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Ursula's strongest decade.
2,810 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 19% of all-time use.
Ursula births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 121
1880s
121 births
- 1890s 279
1890s
279 births
- 1900s 460
1900s
460 births
- 1910s
1910s
1,141 births
- 1920s
1920s
1,441 births
- 1930s
1930s
1,126 births
- 1940s 785
1940s
785 births
- 1950s 1,087
1950s
1,087 births
- 1960s
1960s
2,810 births
- 1970s
1970s
2,740 births
- 1980s
1980s
1,398 births
- 1990s 591
1990s
591 births
- 2000s 357
2000s
357 births
- 2010s 295
2010s
295 births
- 2020s 180
2020s
180 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 2,810 births (19% of all-time use).
How Ursula compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Ursula's total volume
Ursula vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Ursula by state
Where Ursula concentrates geographically, total births since 1881
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 1,676 | 11.3% |
| #2 | California | | 1,174 | 7.9% |
| #3 | Texas | | 842 | 5.7% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 757 | 5.1% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 670 | 4.5% |
| #6 | Louisiana | | 597 | 4.0% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 529 | 3.6% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 433 | 2.9% |
New York share of Ursula's total US births 11.3%
Even split
1,676 of 14,811 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 34 reporting states.
Ursula appears in 34 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ursula? ▼
Since 1881, Social Security records show 14,811 babies named Ursula. Today it holds rank #5153 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1967, with 400 births.
When was Ursula most popular? ▼
Ursula was most popular in the 1960s decade with 2,810 total births. The single peak year was 1967.
Where is Ursula most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Ursula are New York (1,676 births), California (1,174 births), Texas (842 births).
How long has the name Ursula been used? ▼
Ursula has been recorded in Social Security data since 1881, spanning 145 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Ursula? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Ursala, Ursa, Ursela, Ursuline, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Ursula's data
- Ursula's decade-level peak was the 1960s (2,810 total births); usage has since declined to 180 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Ursulas (1,676 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Ursula
Nearby Names Like Ursula
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ursula
Ursala Girl
92 births
Ursa Girl
#12274 72 births
Ursela Girl
35 births
Ursuline Girl
25 births
Ursla Girl
18 births
Compare Ursula side by side: Ursula vs Ursala Ursula vs Ursa Ursula vs Ursela
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Ursula
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1881–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Ursula: #5153 Girls' Name - 14,811 Births, Peak 1967." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/ursula. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Ursula draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.