Ulyess
A masculine given name derived from the name Odysseus in Greek mythology.
Name Census estimates that about 31 living Americans carry the first name Ulyess. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Ulyess today is around 79 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ulyess births was 1927 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ulyess. 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.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Ulyess is about 79 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Ulyess' were born before 1957.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Ulyess. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
31
~ 1 in 11,056,592 Americans
Peak year
1927
8 babies that year
Average age
79
years old
1957 SSA rank
#4,515
Tracked since 1913
Popularity
Ulyess: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ulyess from the 1910s through to the 1950s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 55 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1920s peak, Ulyess remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ulyess 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 Ulyess during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Ulyess
The given name Ulyess is a variant spelling of the name Ulysses, which has its origins in Greek mythology. The name is derived from the Greek name Odysseus, the hero of Homer's epic poem the Odyssey. Odysseus was renowned for his cunning intelligence, bravery, and fortitude during the Trojan War and his subsequent ten-year journey home to Ithaca.
The name Odysseus is believed to have originated from the Greek word "odyssomai," meaning "to be plagued, to suffer." This reflects the trials and tribulations faced by Odysseus during his arduous voyage back to his homeland. The name's Latin equivalent, Ulysses, emerged as a popular name during the Roman era, with variations like Ulyess appearing over time.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ulysses dates back to the 16th century. Ulysses Aldrovandi (1522-1605) was an Italian naturalist and author, known for his contributions to the study of natural history. Another notable figure was Ulysses Everett McGill (1910-1989), an American politician who served as the 35th Governor of Illinois from 1937 to 1949.
In literature, the name Ulysses gained significant prominence through James Joyce's modernist novel "Ulysses," published in 1922. The novel's protagonist, Leopold Bloom, is a modern-day embodiment of Odysseus, and the book's narrative structure parallels the epic journey of the Greek hero. Ulyess Grant (1822-1885), the 18th President of the United States and a celebrated military leader during the American Civil War, is perhaps one of the most famous bearers of the name.
Another notable figure with the name Ulyess was Ulyess Renninger (1864-1943), an American businessman and founder of the Renninger's Antique and Collectors Market, one of the largest outdoor antique markets in the United States. Ulyess Simpson Grant III (1881-1968), the grandson of President Ulysses S. Grant, was a distinguished lawyer and author who wrote extensively about his grandfather's life and military career.
The name Ulyess, while less common than its more popular variants, carries a rich historical legacy rooted in Greek mythology and the enduring story of Odysseus. Its bearers throughout history have been associated with qualities such as bravery, resilience, and intellectual curiosity, reflecting the name's origins in the epic journey of the Greek hero.
People
Ulyess + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ulyess 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
Ulyess: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ulyess?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 31 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ulyess 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 11,056,592 US residents.
Is Ulyess a common name?
We classify Ulyess as "Very Rare". It ranks above 47% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 143 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ulyess most popular?
The single biggest year for Ulyess was 1927, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ulyess is about 79 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Ulyess a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ulyess in the SSA data are male. 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.