Dictionary of Medieval Names
from European Sources

Ursa f. Latin ursa '(she-)bear'.

The diminutive form of the name, Ursula, was always more common than the root form, due to the popularity of the legend of St. Ursula and the 10,000 virgins. In England, the name was not much used before the 16th C.

Belgium
Dutch
1597x1598 Urssele BoonenGes p. 381, Ursula ibid. p. 373, Ursule ibid. p. 384
England
Latin
1551 Ursula (nom) StMartF p. 57; 1562 Vrsula (nom) RegSoAMar p. 3; 1563 Ursula (nom) RegSoABap p. 8; 1565/6 Vrsula (nom) ibid. p. 11; 1565 Vrsula (nom) RegSoAMar p. 4, Vrsulia (nom) RegSoABap p. 10; 1568 Vrsula (nom) ibid. p. 14; 1569 Vrsula (nom) RegSoAMar p. 5; 1572 Ursula (nom) Reg-KirkElla p. 8; 1592 Vrsula (nom) RegSoAMar p. 16; 1593 Vrsula (nom) ibid. p. 16
Early Modern English
1541 Vrsula StNick-Sf p. 1; 1554 Ursula BarnstapleBap p. 8; 1560 Ursula BEmar-vol1 p. 6, Vrsula RegSoABap p. 2; 1561 Ursula BarnstapleBap p. 11, Ursulay ibid. p. 11; 1563 Urseley BEmar-vol2 p. 29; 1569 Vrsula RegSoABap p. 16; 1570 Ursley RegBisham p. 3, Ursula BUmar-vol2 p. 116, Vrsula RegPat p. 31; 1572 Ursula StAnthonlin p. 22, Vrsula RegSoAMar p. 6; 1573 Ursula RegPat p. 1; 1575 Urslaw BUmar-vol9 p. 148, Ursula StAnthonlin p. 24, Vrseley OrpingtonKe p. 4; 1577 Vrsula RegSoAMar p. 8; 1578 Ursula BEmar-vol2 p. 69; 1579 Vrselay OrpingtonKe p. 5, Vrsula RegSoAMar p. 9; 1582 Ursula RegPat p. 34; 1583/4 Ursula BEmar-vol1 p. 11; 1583 Ursula ibid. p. 11; 1585 Ursula bruton1 p. 8; 1586 Ursle BUmar-vol1 p. 26, Ursula BUmar-vol2 p. 117; 1587 Ursly CAmar-vol1 p. 4, Urslye ibid. p. 4, Ursula RegPat p. 36; 1588 Ursulay ibid. p. 108; 1589 Ursula BEmar-vol2 p. 31, bruton1 p. 9; 1589/90 Ursulai RegPat p. 38; 1590 Urselie HAmar-vol9 p. 140, Ursilla RegPat p. 38, Ursula bruton1 p. 50; 1590/1 Ursulay RegPat p. 110; 1591 Vrsula RegSoAMar p. 15; 1594 Ursula bruton1 p. 10, Vrsula RegSoAMar p. 17; 1595 Urselay BUmar-vol9 p. 9, Ursula COmar-vol2 p. 72; 1596 Ursula RegPat p. 41; 1597 Ursula ibid. p. 113; 1599 Ursula ibid. p. 42, WAmar-1 p. 109, bruton1 p. 57
Walloon
1595 Ourse RWC p. 37
France
Middle French
1565 Ursine RegPCC-1 p. 157; 1566 Ursine ibid. p. 247; 1567 Ursine ibid. p. 339; 1571 Ursine ibid. p. 446
Germany
Early New High German
1497 Ursel Nurn1497 87, Ursell ibid. 805, Ursula ibid. 140
Italy
Latin
882 Orsa (nom) skinner p. 113; 1367 Ursam (acc) Livi 169
1522x1532 Ursulina (nom) DSF p. 56, 8
Italian
1513x1521 Ursina LeoX p. 24
Latvia
Middle Low German
1523 Ursula Arbusow p. 99
Spain
Latin
1491 Ursola (nom) carbonell-I p. 55, Ursolæ (gen) ibid. p. 55
Catalan
1510 Ursola valencia1510 3162, Ursula ibid. 3266
Spanish
1575 Ursula Catalogo-5.2 3804
Cite as: A. Brown, R. Le Get, J. Uckelman, S.L. Uckelman. "Ursa". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2023, no. 1. http://dmnes.org/2023/1/name/Ursa.