Ulla
Ulla is a given name. It is short for Ursula in German-speaking countries and Ulrika/Ulrikke in Scandinavian countries. As of 31 December 2011, there were 61,043 females named Ulla in Sweden, with the name being most popular during the 1930s and 40s, and as of 7 June 2010, there were 25,959 females named Ulla in Finland, most born between 1940 and 1979.
- Swedish
- Danish
- Finnish
- German
Meaning & Origin of Ulla
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Ulla is a given name. It is short for Ursula in German-speaking countries and Ulrika/Ulrikke in Scandinavian countries. As of 31 December 2011, there were 61,043 females named Ulla in Sweden, with the name being most popular during the 1930s and 40s, and as of 7 June 2010, there were 25,959 females named Ulla in Finland, most born between 1940 and 1979.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Swedish
- Danish
- Finnish
- German
The Story of Ulla
American parents first put Ulla on the record books as a baby girl name in 1899, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2017, when 7 Ullas were born — ranking #12,706 that year. The 2020s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 20% of all recorded Ullas. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2023 (6 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 97 Ullas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1890s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Ulla
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Ulla. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Ulla
Phonetically similar names — useful when Ulla is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ulla
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About the name Ulla
Ulla is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1899 and has accumulated 97 births in the dataset. Ulla's peak popularity came in 2017 when it ranked #12,706. Use the chart and map above to compare Ulla's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2017 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "U" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.