Given name · also Greek
Ulysses
“one who roams; an angry man”
In Latin use, Ulysses carries the interpretation “one who roams; an angry man.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In Latin use, Ulysses carries the interpretation “one who roams; an angry man.”
Where it comes from
A possible origin is Greek, although the derivation remains uncertain.
How it developed
Ulysses is used as a form of Odysseus.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Ulysses through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 18,680
- 18,655 boys · 25 girls
- Most popular year
- 1999
- 272 babies
- 2025
- 169
- #1,201 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- 0%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 169 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,201 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 0.1% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 272 in 1999. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (44). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 9,490 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Ulysses’s family of names
Ulysses has a later derivative in Ulises. Ulysses has a related form in Ulisses. In English usage, Ulysses has a conventional equivalent in the Spanish form Ulises.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Ulysses has relatives in 3 languages. Lines run from its Latin roots to each of them.
3 related names in 3 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 7
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 5
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 3
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Ulysses
- Ulysses S. Grantpresident of the United States from 1869 to 18771822–1885
- Junior BridgemanAmerican basketball player and businessman1953–2025
- Ulysses LlanezAmerican soccer playerborn 2001
- Ulysses GuimarãesBrazilian politician and lawyer (1916-1992)
- Ulysses Kaycomposer (1917–1995)
- Ulysses DavisAmerican film director1872–1924
- Ulysses Prentiss HedrickAmerican botanist (1870–1951)
- U. S. GuyerAmerican politician (1868–1943)
- Ulysses DoveAmerican dancer and choreographer (1947-1996)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
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