Ulyses
Derived from the Greek name Odysseus, meaning "the one who is wrathful".
Name Census estimates that about 893 living Americans carry the first name Ulyses. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Ulyses today is around 35 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ulyses births was 1998 (43 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ulyses. 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.
People living today
893
~ 1 in 383,823 Americans
Peak year
1998
43 babies that year
Average age
35
years old
2023 SSA rank
#10,716
Tracked since 1905
Popularity
Ulyses: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ulyses from the 1900s through to the 2020s, spanning 13 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 264 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ulyses 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 Ulyses during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Ulyses' live
The SSA's state-level files cover 7 states and territories. California, Georgia, Texas recorded the most babies named Ulyses, while Illinois, Florida, North Carolina recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 60 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Ulyses
The given name Ulyses is derived from the Latin name Ulysses, which in turn comes from the Greek Odysseus. It is the Latinized version of the name of the legendary Greek hero from Homer's epic poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey.
The name Odysseus is believed to have originated from the Greek word "odyssomai," which means "to hate" or "to be hostile." This could be a reference to the hero's cunning and resourcefulness in dealing with his enemies and overcoming obstacles during his long journey home after the Trojan War.
The earliest recorded use of the name Ulyses can be found in ancient Greek literature, particularly in the works of Homer, which are believed to have been composed around the 8th century BCE. In the Odyssey, Odysseus is the central character who embarks on a perilous journey home to Ithaca after the Trojan War, facing numerous challenges and adventures along the way.
One of the most famous historical figures named Ulysses was Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885), an American military leader and the 18th President of the United States. He was instrumental in leading the Union Army to victory during the American Civil War and later served two terms as president from 1869 to 1877.
Another notable figure with the name Ulyses was Ulysses Simpson (1842-1925), an American frontiersman and military officer who served in the Indian Wars and the Spanish-American War. He was also a close friend and military aide to General George Armstrong Custer.
In the literary world, Ulysses is the title of the iconic modernist novel by Irish writer James Joyce (1882-1941), published in 1922. The novel's protagonist, Leopold Bloom, is likened to the Greek hero Odysseus, and the book follows his wanderings through Dublin over the course of a single day.
Another famous bearer of the name was Ulysses S. Ayers (1857-1919), an American architect who was influential in the development of the Beaux-Arts architectural style in the United States. He designed several notable buildings, including the Hilton Memorial Chapel at Stanford University and the First Church of Christ, Scientist in Los Angeles.
Lastly, Ulysses S. Grant III (1881-1968), the grandson of President Ulysses S. Grant, was a notable American lawyer and author. He wrote several books about his grandfather's life and military career, helping to shape the public's understanding of this pivotal historical figure.
People
Ulyses + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ulyses 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
Ulyses: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ulyses?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 893 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ulyses 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 383,823 US residents.
Is Ulyses a common name?
We classify Ulyses as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,438 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ulyses most popular?
The single biggest year for Ulyses was 1998, when 43 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ulyses is about 35 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Ulyses a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ulyses 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.