Fun Facts About the Name Odysseus
- 526 babies named Odysseus: U.S. records list 526 babies given the name Odysseus from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Odysseus Mean?
Odysseus is the Greek name of the hero of Homer's Odyssey, written in Greek as Ὀδυσσεύς. Its etymology is not settled. The explanation most often cited connects it to the verb ὀδύσσομαι (odyssomai), "to be angry with, to hate," which would give a sense like "he who is hated" or "he who hates." A second suggestion links it to ὀδύνη (odynē), "pain, grief." Both readings try to explain the name from ordinary Greek words, and neither is certain; the unusual shape of the name has led some scholars to propose a pre-Greek origin instead, in which case its original meaning would be unknown.
Homer offers a folk etymology rather than a historical one. In Book 19 of the Odyssey, the hero's grandfather Autolycus names him and says he has come "having been odyssamenos" - at odds with, or hated by, many people. That is a play on the sound of the name, not evidence of its real source. The Latin forms Ulixes and Ulysses are not direct descendants of Ὀδυσσεύς; they appear to come from a separate Greek dialect form such as Ὀλυσσεύς, which was borrowed into Etruscan and then into Latin.
Odysseus Name History & Origins
Odysseus is the central figure of the Odyssey, the Greek epic attributed to Homer, and he also appears in the Iliad. In those poems he is the king of Ithaca, known for cunning and for the long wanderings that finally bring him home. Whether a historical person of this name stands behind the stories is not known, and the name belongs above all to the epic hero rather than to ordinary personal use in the Greek world.
Through Latin the hero became Ulixes or Ulysses in Roman literature, and it is this Latin form, not the Greek one, that is the basis of the English given name Ulysses. The Greek name Odysseus came into English directly from Greek in the modern period, chiefly through classical scholarship and retellings of Homer. In modern Greek the given name survives as Οδυσσέας (Odysseas).
Later writers kept the figure alive under both forms, including Dante, who places Ulysses among the false counselors in the Inferno, and Tennyson, whose poem "Ulysses" gives the hero a famous English voice. The story also produced the English common noun "odyssey," meaning a long journey or series of travels.
How Popular is the Name Odysseus?
Odysseus has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2025. Its best rank was #2,828 in 2020.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,870 | 44 | 0.0026% |
| 2024 | #3,131 | 39 | 0.0023% |
| 2023 | #4,842 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 2022 | #3,040 | 41 | 0.0024% |
| 2021 | #3,159 | 38 | 0.0022% |
| 2020 | #2,828 | 43 | 0.0025% |
| 2019 | #2,889 | 43 | 0.0024% |
| 2018 | #3,581 | 31 | 0.0017% |
| 2017 | #4,198 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 2016 | #3,957 | 27 | 0.0014% |
| 2015 | #4,371 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 2014 | #3,592 | 30 | 0.0016% |
| 2013 | #3,724 | 28 | 0.0015% |
| 2012 | #5,651 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2011 | #6,162 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2010 | #7,970 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2009 | #12,063 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2008 | #14,049 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 2007 | #9,518 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2006 | #9,330 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2003 | #9,348 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2002 | #9,126 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2000 | #9,978 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1999 | #9,554 | 6 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Odysseus Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are patient, persevering and strong willed. You are a good student, absorbing knowledge easily and retaining it well. You are either a saint or a sinner. You tend to hold things inside and suffer in silence. You are frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.
You are always looking for a chance to do your own thing, to be your own person, and to have things done your own way.
✦ Odysseus's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Odysseus's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.