Boy · #1,300 in 2026

Ulysses

Name: Popularity of the name Ulysses in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Ulysses, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Ulysses is one Latinized version of Odysseus. The name was made more famous in modern times by the American Civil War hero and eighteenth president of the United States, Ulysses S. Grant, by James Joyce's novel Ulysses, and the film of the same name.

Current Rank

#1,300

Peak Rank

#269 (1999)

Total Babies

19K

5-Yr Trend

-9%

1921

First Year

1991

Last Year

1921

Peak Year

#5099

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Ulysses

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Ulysses

Ulysses first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 29 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1999, when 272 Ulyssess were born — ranking #642 that year. As of 2026, Ulysses ranks #1,300 for baby boys with 151 births, gradually falling (-9%). In total, more than 19K Ulyssess have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Ulysses

Phonetically similar names — useful when Ulysses is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Ullyses
Ulysse
Eulogies
Jealousies
Jalousies
Julissa
Wallaces
Euless
Helices
Shoelaces
Elysees
Valises

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Ulysses

What does the name Ulysses mean?

How popular is Ulysses in 2026?

In 2026, Ulysses ranks #1,300 among boys' names in the U.S., with 151 babies given the name that year.

When was Ulysses most popular?

Ulysses reached its peak popularity in 1999, ranking #269 that year with 272 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Ulysses most popular?

Ulysses has historically been most popular in South Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Ulysses.

Is Ulysses a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Ulysses is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Ulysses?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Ulysses include Emerson, Isiah, Stewart. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Ulysses

Ulysses is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 19K births in the dataset. Ulysses's peak popularity came in 1999 when it ranked #269. Use the chart and map above to compare Ulysses's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.