Odysseus
In Greek and Roman mythology, Odysseus, also known by the Latin variant Ulysses, is a legendary Greek king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer's epic poem, the Odyssey. Odysseus also plays a key role in Homer's Iliad and other works in that same epic cycle.
- Greek Mythology
Meaning & Origin of Odysseus
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
In Greek and Roman mythology, Odysseus, also known by the Latin variant Ulysses, is a legendary Greek king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer's epic poem, the Odyssey. Odysseus also plays a key role in Homer's Iliad and other works in that same epic cycle.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Greek Mythology
The Story of Odysseus
Odysseus first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1999, with 6 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2019: 43 births, good for #2,848 nationwide. About 45% of every Odysseus on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Odysseus ranks #3,587 for baby boys with 32 births, gradually falling (-8%). All told, over 547 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1990s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Odysseus
Phonetically similar names — useful when Odysseus is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Odysseus
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About the name Odysseus
Odysseus is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1999 and has accumulated 547 births in the dataset. Odysseus's peak popularity came in 2019 when it ranked #2,805. Use the chart and map above to compare Odysseus's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2019 →
- Names of the 2010s →
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- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.