Ulysses

Meaning: Uncertain
Origin: Greek — Latin form of Odysseus, the hero of Homer's Odyssey

Boy's name · #1201 in the US (2025) · Timeless

Popularity over time

Ulysses holds its lane: charted since 1880 and rarely far from where it stands today (#1201 in 2025). About 19,000 boys have carried it along the way. In all that time it has never once missed a year of the national records.

Across the states

See where Ulysses is more common.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 9 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Around the world

See how Ulysses ranks in other countries and regions.

#3,153 in Canada (2025) · #5,137 in England & Wales (2025) · #6,465 in France (2025) · #1,456 in Sweden (2023) · #9,296 in Ecuador (2015) · #1,650 in Austria (2001).

Famous Ulysseses

Ulysses S. Grant — Civil War general, U.S. president from 1869 to 1877 (1822–1885)
Ulysses J. Lupien — American businessman and government official (1883–1965)
Ulysses S. Grant, Jr. — American businessman and son of President Grant (1852–1929)
Ulysses S. Grant III — American army officer and grandson of President Ulysses S. Grant (1881–1968)
Ulysses S. Grant IV — Geologist and paleontologist (1893–1977)

In stories & tradition

Ulysses Bloodstone — Fictional character in comic books by Marvel Comics
Ulysses Paxton — Barsoom (novel series)
Ulysses — Marvel Comics

What Ulysseses become

Among 120 notable people named Ulysses:

Military figures appear 2.94× more often than among typical names — e.g. Ulysses G. McAlexander, United States Army general (1864–1936).

Spellings & nicknames

Together with its spelling variant Ulises (#1043), Ulysses would rank around #703 with about 380 births last year — the newborns split about 56/44 between Ulises and Ulysses.

Similar names: Laurence · Gus · Jules · Hugh · Sidney · Theron

Browse more boy names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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