Ula
A feminine name of unknown origin, possibly Arabic or Semitic.
Name Census estimates that about 396 living Americans carry the first name Ula. It is a predominantly female name (98.1% of registrations). The average person named Ula today is around 52 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ula births was 1924 (64 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ula. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
396
~ 1 in 865,541 Americans
Peak year
1924
64 babies that year
Average age
52
years old
1926 SSA rank
#4,783
Tracked since 1880
Gender
Gender distribution for Ula
Ula leans heavily female at 98.1% of total registrations, but 31 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Ula as a male name
- Ranked #4,783 in 1926
- 5 male births in 1926
- Peak: 1922 (8 births)
Ula as a female name
- Ranked #12,028 in 2024
- 8 female births in 2024
- Peak: 1924 (56 births)
Popularity
Ula: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ula from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 15 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 426 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ula by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Ula during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Ulas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 9 states and territories. Georgia, Louisiana, Ohio recorded the most babies named Ula, while North Carolina, Kansas, Indiana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 8 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Ula
The name Ula has its origins in several different cultures and languages. It is believed to have Germanic roots, derived from the Old Norse word "ulfer" meaning "wolf." In Scandinavian and Nordic traditions, wolves were revered as sacred animals associated with strength, loyalty, and familial bonds.
Ula is also a feminine name in Slavic languages like Polish, where it is a diminutive form of the name Olga. In this context, Ula likely stems from the Greek word "olga" meaning "holy." It is possible that the name Ula gained popularity in Eastern Europe due to the influence of the 10th-century Kievan Rus' Princess Olga, who was canonized as a saint.
In Hawaiian culture, the name Ula carries the meaning of "reddish" or "colorful," potentially referring to the vibrant hues of the Hawaiian sunset or the island's diverse landscapes.
The earliest recorded usage of the name Ula dates back to the 11th century in Scandinavia. One notable historical figure bearing this name was Ula Foilenn, an Irish noblewoman and the wife of the High King of Ireland, Muirchertach Ua Briain, in the 11th century.
Another prominent individual was Ula Saxakanangin, a renowned Inuit poet and storyteller from Greenland who lived in the late 19th century. Her work played a significant role in preserving the oral traditions and cultural heritage of her people.
In the realm of literature, Ula is the name of the protagonist in the 1938 novel "Ula, the Nahuatl Lady" by American author Adelaide Wilson. The book explores the lives of indigenous people in pre-Columbian Mexico.
The name has also been associated with various notable figures in the arts and sciences. Ula Mastyková was a celebrated Czech painter and illustrator who lived from 1892 to 1975, known for her vibrant depictions of Czech folklore and traditions.
Lastly, Ula Tai was a respected Samoan navigator and explorer who lived in the early 19th century, renowned for her expertise in traditional Polynesian wayfinding techniques.
People
Ula + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ula as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with U
Other first names starting with U with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Ula: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ula?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 396 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ula going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 865,541 US residents.
Is Ula a common name?
We classify Ula as "Very Rare". It ranks above 82.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,644 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ula most popular?
The single biggest year for Ula was 1924, when 64 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ula is about 52 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Ula a female name?
Yes, 98.1% of people registered as Ula in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.