Boy Names Starting with U: Cool Urban and Daring Ulysses

Boy names starting with U make for a very short list indeed!

The letter U ranks 25th out of 26th in terms of popularity. Just three boy names beginning with U rank in the current Top 1000, and only one of them makes the Top 500 – barely.

But there are others. Not many, but a handful of appealing possibilities come from the twenty-first letter of the alphabet.

It’s mostly English that neglects the letter. Some of these hint at international roots, and indeed, other languages make better use of the sound.

Some names, of course, could be spelled with an U instead of another vowel. Orson seems a little more accessible than Ursino. Alrich could just as easily be Ulrich.

But in most cases, it seems like the U version is the less popular of the possibilities.

And so this list of boy names starting with U may be brief, but it’s rich with some intriguing options.

MOST POPULAR BOY NAMES STARTING WITH U

URIEL (#446)

Cousin to Uriah, Uriel currently stands as the most popular U name for a boy in the US. We love boy names ending with -iel, which explains this name’s quiet climb.

URIAH (#650)

An Old Testament name meaning “God is my light,” Uriah benefits from our love of names like Elijah and Isaiah.

RARE U NAMES FOR BOYS

UCHENNA

A unisex Igbo name with a powerful meaning: “wisdom of the father.”

UDAY

A Sanskrit name meaning ascend, Uday makes a handsome choice.

UDO

Either a cousin of the Germanic Otto, or an Igbo name meaning peace.

UDI

Familiar to many thanks to Udi’s Healthy Foods, the brand’s name comes from Udi Baron. Baron pioneered gluten-free baking in his Denver, Colorado cafes, and the business grew from there. Udi is most often a form of the Old Testament name Ehud.

UGO

It’s best known as the Italian form of Hugh – meaning heart or mind – but Ugo also appears in Igbo as a name meaning eagle.

UMBER

Earthy color name possibility.

UMBERTO

Italian form of Germanic name Humbert. Writer Umberto Eco makes it familiar in the US, though not often heard as a give name.

ULF

Scandi form of wolf.

ULI AND ULLI

It can be masculine or feminine and short for lots of longer names, including several German classics.

ULISES

The Spanish form of Ulysses, slightly sparer than the English version. This name has teetered on the edge of the US Top 1000 in recent years.

ULRICH

A Germanic name rich with history, but seldom heard in the US.

ULYSSES

Borrowed from a towering literary hero Ulysses, this name suggests an adventurous spirit. It’s also the only U name worn by a former American president, Ulysses S. Grant. The success of summer blockbuster The Odyssey might increase interest in the both the Greek and Latin forms of the name, though Matt Damon answered to Odysseus throughout.

UMBERTO

Humbert is pretty much extinct in English. But the Italian Umberto remains a dashing import.

UMI

Feminine in Japanese, Umi is used in small numbers for girls in the US. But it’s also the name of a legendary Hawaiian king.

UPTON

A polished surname name that means up town, it’s familiar thanks to Pulitzer Prize-winning author Upton Sinclair.

URBAN

Eight popes have been named Urban, a brief and tailored choice that’s rare today, but not unknown. There’s a cosmopolitan energy to Urban, one that brings to mind the vibrancy of New York City, Chicago, London, or another major metropolis. In literally means “city dweller.”

URSINO

In the key of Ugo and Umberto, this is another Italian U name. In this case, Ursino comes from the Latin ursus – bear. Orson is the closest English counterpart – but it’s nearly as rare. Still, bear names are having a moment, from Theodore to Bear and beyond.

USHER

A little bit Edgar Allan Poe, and even more 21st century recording artist, this name has quietly risen in use. Originally an occupational surname for a doorman, “to usher” can also be a verb, and a positive one – we can usher in change or a new era. The musician Usher – born Usher Raymond IV – has raised its profile.

USNAVI

The Lin-Manuel Miranda musical In the Heights introduced us to Usnavi de la Vega. His name came from the boat his immigrant parents saw on their arrival to New York – US Navy. While the name has never appeared in US data, it has precedent in Cuban naming practices – which makes it a fit for Usnavi’s backstory.

UZIEL, UZZIEL

An Old Testament rarity with a strong meaning: my power is God.

What are your favorite boy names starting with U?

This post was updated on September 5, 2024; October 27, 2025; and October 21, 2026.