The name Ulysses is derived from the Greek Odysseus, the legendary hero from Homer's ancient epic poem the Odyssey. Odysseus was known for his intelligence, courage, and clever cunning that helped him survive the Trojan War and an arduous journey home to Ithaca that lasted 10 years.

The name has its roots in the Greek word odyssomai, meaning "to suffer" or "to be wrathful against", alluding to the many trials and tribulations Odysseus endured. It's thought to be tied to the Greek word odys meaning "trouble" or "painful journey". The Latin rendering of the name became Ulysses or Ulixes.

One of the earliest prominent figures named Ulysses was the ancient Roman soldier Ulysses Crinitus who fought in the Punic Wars against Carthage in the 3rd century BC. In literature, the name appears in works like Virgil's Aeneid and Dante's Divine Comedy referencing the ancient Greek hero.

Throughout history, various rulers and military leaders bore the first name Ulysses. This includes the Gothic king Ulysses who ruled part of the Iberian Peninsula in the 7th century AD. In the early 19th century, Ulysses Maximilianus Browne was an Austrian field marshal celebrated for victories against Napoleon's forces.

One of the most famous individuals named Ulysses was Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885), the American Civil War general who later became the 18th President of the United States from 1869 to 1877. Other notable people with this first name were Irish-American novelist Ulysses S. Burgh (1869-1950), and Ulysses Dove (1943-1995), an American poet who served as Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress.