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Sula

Girl name · 15 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Sula: 15 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to girls, peaking at 3 births in 2003.

Sula is a name with two distinct and appealing origins. Primarily, it is a short form of the Gaelic name *Sulbhe*, meaning "sun" or "eye of the sun," evoking warmth and brightness. It also has roots in Old Norse, where *Súla* means "gannet" (a seabird), a fitting connection for a name found in coastal Scotland. The most famous bearer is the American author Zora Neale Hurston’s protagonist in her 1937 novel *Sula*, a powerful story of friendship and defiance. The name also shares its root with the Scottish island of Sula Sgeir, a remote rocky islet north of Lewis, whose name means "gannet rock." A charming variant is the Irish name Súil, meaning "eye," though Sula remains distinct and uncommon.