Ulysess
A masculine name derived from the Latin word "Ulixes", meaning "wrathful" or "angry".
Name Census estimates that about 187 living Americans carry the first name Ulysess. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Ulysess today is around 62 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ulysess births was 1926 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ulysess. 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
187
~ 1 in 1,832,911 Americans
Peak year
1926
15 babies that year
Average age
62
years old
2010 SSA rank
#12,116
Tracked since 1912
Popularity
Ulysess: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ulysess from the 1910s through to the 2010s, spanning 11 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 106 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ulysess 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 Ulysess during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Ulysess' live
Origin
Meaning and history of Ulysess
The name Ulysses has its origins in Greek mythology, derived from the name Odysseus, the legendary Greek hero and the protagonist of Homer's epic poem The Odyssey. Odysseus, in turn, is believed to be derived from the Greek word "odussomai," meaning "to suffer" or "to be wrathful."
The Odyssey, composed around the 8th century BC, recounts the journey of Odysseus as he attempts to return home to Ithaca after the Trojan War. The name Ulysses is the Latin version of Odysseus, reflecting the influence of Roman culture on the spread and adaptation of Greek names.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Ulysses was during the Renaissance period, when it was popularized by the Italian poet Dante Alighieri in his work The Divine Comedy, written in the early 14th century. Dante's portrayal of Ulysses as a heroic figure seeking knowledge and adventure helped revive interest in the name.
Historically, the name Ulysses has been associated with several notable individuals. One of the most famous was Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885), the 18th President of the United States, who led the Union Army to victory during the American Civil War. His birth name was Hiram Ulysses Grant, but he was often referred to as Ulysses S. Grant, with the initial "S" standing for nothing.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Ulysses Kay (1917-1995), an American composer known for his orchestral and chamber works, which blended elements of classical music with African-American folk traditions.
In literature, Ulysses is the title of the renowned novel by James Joyce, published in 1922. The novel follows the experiences of Leopold Bloom on a single day in Dublin, paralleling the odyssey of the mythical Odysseus.
Other notable individuals with the name Ulysses include Ulysses Simpson Grant Curl (1865-1935), a Union Army veteran and early settler in Oklahoma; Ulysses S. Guyer (1892-1984), an American artist and illustrator; and Ulysses Dove (1947-1996), a celebrated American modern dancer and choreographer.
Throughout history, the name Ulysses has been associated with themes of adventure, perseverance, and the quest for knowledge, reflecting the enduring influence of the Greek epic The Odyssey and its protagonist, Odysseus.
People
Ulysess + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ulysess 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
Ulysess: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ulysess?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 187 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ulysess 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 1,832,911 US residents.
Is Ulysess a common name?
We classify Ulysess as "Very Rare". It ranks above 73.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 463 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ulysess most popular?
The single biggest year for Ulysess was 1926, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ulysess is about 62 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Ulysess a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ulysess 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.