View Message

[Opinions] Ursula
What do you think of Ursula? I know it is no longer very popular in America, due to the "Little Mermaid" association, and this seems to be most people's experience with the name. However, I am aware that some people actually know of this name beyond the children's movie, as it is connected both with the author, Ursula Le Guin, and the divine Ms. Andress.Funnily enough, even though the meaning is not at all sea-related, I still think of the ocean when I hear this name. However, rather than thinking of the cartoonish and frightening sea witch, I think of a little girl, with short dark hair and piercing dark eyes. She wears a lot of white, loves to read, and has two black cats, named Jinx and Salem, that follow her everywhere. She lives along the seashore, and spends much of her day collecting shells and playing in the storm-tossed surf.So, do you like Ursula? If you do, what names would you use in a combo with her? Thanks in advance!
Archived Thread - replies disabled
vote up1

Replies

I could appreciate it on someone, but for me personally, the "urrrrr" sound makes the name unusable. I don't so much care about the sea witch.
vote up1
This is one of those names where I initially didn't like it, but the meaning makes me like it much more. :) Little she-bear is just too awesome! The Little Mermaid makes me think of the sea whenever I hear this name though, which I just can't shake. Thanks Disney.
vote up1
Just wanted to add that I always thought Sula / Sulie ("SOO-lah" / "SOO-lee") could be a cute NN
vote up1
Agree. :-)
vote up1
It's interesting, but I do have the 'Little Mermaid' association. However with the child's classmates that might be less strong in that generation. I loved the Ursula Le Guin books, so that's a good association for me.I love Ulla, so if I were to use Ursula, Ulla would be a permanent nickname. Ulla pronouned as "OO - luh" (the OO sounding like in 'cook' not 'spoon')
vote up1
I would certainly hope by the time I have children that the "Little Mermaid" association had died down. If not, I'll just have to teach my daughter to own her name. I had never thought of nicknames for Ursula, but Ulla is a nice option. Thanks!
vote up1
Ulla is cute. Other nns that I've toyed with: Ursa, Ursi, Lulu, Susie, Bear. ;-)
vote up1
Wheeeeee!I have a thing for bears. I don't know if you noticed or not. :-PUrsula is divine. It sounds beautiful, especially the British way. It brings to mind bears in the stars dipping things. How great is that?I came of age well before the "Little Mermaid" movie so my associations with the name are all positive. St. Ursula and her nuns, sexy Ms Andress coming out of the sea as the first Bond girl in "Dr. No," Ms LeGuin, Ursa Major / Minor and just plain bears. Of the many pop culture references to ruin names for an entire generation I hold that *&%^%^%@ fishy Disney one in the lowest regard. Yes, it was a cute movie that entertained thousands -- but at the cost of my beloved Ursula. I shall never forgive them.Ursula Valkyrie is my favorite stock combination for her. But she scares most people so I have these as back-ups:Ursula Maud
Ursula Ghislaine
Ursula Bronwen
Ursula Clothilde
Ursula Capucine
Ursula Eugenie / Eugenia
Ursula Mary
Ursula Hazel -- wonderfully witchy
Ursula Meadow
Ursula Florimel
Ursula Winifred
Ursula Margaret / Margarethe
Ursula Bryony

... Load Full Message

This message was edited 10/4/2011, 12:51 PM

vote up1
Ooo Ursula Meadow is really lovely!
vote up1
:-D Thanks.
vote up1
I was waiting for you to see this thread. I think of you whenever someone mentions Urusula!
vote up1
Aw, that is so sweet of you. :-)
vote up1
Oh my God, I love so many of these. Ursula Valkyrie is awesome-it feels so badass!Ursula Ghislaine, Ursula Bronwen, Ursula Hazel, Ursula Winifred-so many of these are delightful, I may have to start a new list just for Ursula combinations. Funny, it wasn't so long ago that I thought Ursula was a hideous name, because of the Disney association ("The Little Mermaid" came out the year I was born), but I have decided I can get past that for the sake of her beauty.The weird thing is that, in the original Hans Christian Andersen tale, she had no name-she was just the Sea Witch. Furthermore, she wasn't unrepentingly (sp?) evil-she was more ambigous. But, I guess American children need "good guys" and "bad guys" in movies.
vote up1
You mean you have an opinion of your own? You aren't bound by pop culture influences? Score! :-DGlad you liked them. I plan on picking up a few new ones in this thread. I hope you don't mind.
vote up1
I really don't like Ursula, sorry. I think the U at the beginning looks awkward (I don't like and U names) and it has a harsh, dated and old-lady feel around it.
vote up1
it's my Mimi's name! I would consider it for a middle name to honor, but it really isn't my style. the way you imagine it makes me like it a lot more though! :)
vote up1
Well thanks for liking my image! Is a Mimi the same as a grandma? Just wondering-I've never seen this before, and this is coming from a girl who calls her grandma Nana (nobody seems to know what I'm talking about when I mention my Nana).
vote up1
yeah, my grandma :) I call my grandmas Mimi and Mamaw. I don't know, maybe I'm weird haha
vote up1
I will never be able to shed the Little Mermaid association. I watched that movie a million times as a kid. The first time I watched the whole thing was a lot later because my sister would always cry when Ursula showed up and my mom had to stop the movie.Also I grew up in many countries and one of them was Germany. It was really common there for 50+ women so it seemed extremely dated. And most went by Uschi which I just find hideous.
vote up1
I loves me some Ursula. Very cool, very unusual, neat meaning. You're talking to a person who'd name a son Grover in a heart beat. So clearly I'm not bothered by strong pop culture references. I'd rather share a name with a badass sea witch than a fuzzy blue puppet, but maybe thats just me. Ursula Leonie
Ursula Carys
Ursula Ruby
Ursula Ruth
Ursula Verity
Ursula Hazel
Ursula Florence
Ursula Delphine
Ursula Cecily
Ursula Romilly
Ursula Romany
Ursula Odette
Ursula Sonnet
Ursula Suvi
Ursula Zipporah
Ursula Lyric
Ursula Celeste
Ursula Pax
Ursula Odessa
Ursula Nephele
Ursula Pearl
Ursula Esmee
Ursula Eloise
Ursula Seraphine
Ursula Rhiannon
Ursula WillowHTH :)
vote up1
I really like Ursula Ruby! I might just steal that one ;)
vote up1
Ooh, I love these! Some of them, like Ursula Pearl, Ursula Seraphine, and Ursula Carys seem like sea princess names, but in a good way. Thanks!I too love the name Grover, and as for the fuzzy blue puppet, it's not *that* bad of an association-he's rather cute. :)
vote up1
Ursula and Grover sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g. First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes Groverette in a baby carriage!
vote up1
I dislike the sound of it. In English it seems to turn into ERshilla, which is unlovely; I knew a girl once whose sister Ursula was known as Ursh! And in German that UUUR makes it positively prehistoric, and that's before you even get to the faded and tatty Uschi.No combos, thank you! But it's got a long and interesting history, and if it was a family name I could readily imagine it in the mn slot.
vote up1
Nope... Not a fan of Ursula at all... Even w/out the Little Mermaild association, I don't find it attractive... and the nn Uschi is kind of unfortuante too... Ushi means cow in Jpns.
vote up1
I've never heard the nickname Uschi, but now I know a potential reference for it, I'll just have to avoid it. :)
vote up1
No prob. I'm sure the Uschi I knew in Canada prob'ly wasn't aware of what her nn could mean in Jpns.
vote up1
I love Ursula. I feel that Ursula and Aurora go well as a sibet or Ursula and Elspeth.For a combo I really like Ursula Elise and Ursula Maeve. I also like Ursula Aileen and Ursula Eibhlin. Ursula Katherine and Ursula Kathleen are also very nice. Ursula Vivienne and Ursula Justine. Ursula Elaine and Ursula Lorraine. Ursula Winter and Ursula Patrice. Ursula Hazel and Ursula Willow. Ursula Rose and Ursula Rosalind. Ursula Therese and Ursula Gwendolen. Ursula Estelle and Ursula Genevieve. Ursula Marguerite and Ursula Viviane.I use to dislike Ursula when I was a child because of the Little Mermaid. But as I got older I stopped having that connection between the movie and the name. Now I love the name.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This message was edited 10/4/2011, 7:52 PM

vote up1
I like it. I think it sounds mature and a little fantasy-ish, but most of all mature. I can't imagine it on a girly-girl or a little kid... It isn't the age so much as the demeanor though. A nine-year-old could pull it off, but they'd have to be silent and stoic and overall act incredibly older than they are, to the point of being a little "off"-seeming.
It reminds me a little of Lucifer-- They both follow this pattern: unstressed syllable, stressed syllable starting in an "s" sound, unstressed syllable. And they're both names I like that have unfortunate associations...

This message was edited 10/4/2011, 6:31 PM

vote up1
I am a child from when the Little Mermaid was big. I loved the movie growing up, but I hated Ursula. In fact, I would fast forward through her "solo scenes" (when no other main character was with her). In America, I'd crigne hearing the name. But if I was abroad, and heard the name, I probably wouldn't think too much of it. (I was in Asia and heard Ariel on a boy and liked it, despite thinking it'd be a little weird here in America.) However, I don't like the sound of Ursula. To me, it's just not a pretty name (which may stem back to the movie, or the harsh ur-sa sounds). It's just not pleasant to my ears.
vote up1
That's okay, we can't all like the same names. :) I grew up with the Little Mermaid, and I always found Ursula a little disturbing-especially in that scene where she is trying to convince Ariel to take her deal, and she talks about the importance of body language, and does that horribly suggestive hip/body waggle. UGH! However, this doesn't ruin the name for me, because she's just a fictional character anyway. :)
vote up1
I ADORE Ursula and would use it in a heartbeat if I could get my SO past the Little Mermaid association - it really is sad how much it ruined the name :(I usually don't even bother trying to find a MN for it because (1) making a combo with it as a FN is actually quite hard and (2) I'll never be able to use it anyway :( I try to stick her in as a MN as much as I canGwenith Ursula is my go-to combo but I've also loved Adrienne Ursula for a whileUrsula Briar was my other go-to combo from back when I thought I could still get away with using is as a FN
vote up1
I totally think that Ursula Briar is workable-it's sweet, yet strong and beautiful at the same time-a perfect combo. The key to using some of these names you love in the FN spot is to have a "screw society" attitude about it. ;)
vote up1
Oh, Gwenith Ursula and Ursula Briar are stellar. Adrienne Ursula is growing on my as I type. At first I didn't think they styles complimented each other. But the flow is lovely and I'm beginning to get a picture of a medieval maiden named Ursula conversing with Pope Adrian of Utrecht. . . . (Odd. I know.)

This message was edited 10/4/2011, 12:53 PM

vote up1