Holding steady.
Popularity of Odel since 1914
Babies named Odel per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1925, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Odel's real moment was 1916.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 48 |
| 1920s | 67 |
| 1930s | 47 |
| 1940s | 5 |
| 1950s | 0 |
| 1960s | 0 |
| 1970s | 0 |
| 1980s | 0 |
| 1990s | 6 |
| 2000s | 0 |
| 2010s | 8 |
| 2020s | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Odel is an uncommon unisex name that saw its most notable usage in the 1910s, peaking in 1916. According to Social Security data, the name has never ranked in the top 1000, and its first recorded use in the United States was in 1914. Despite its rarity, Odel has maintained a stable presence over the decades without a significant revival. The name's origins are uncertain, but it most likely emerged as a variant of the surname Odell, which derives from an English place name. Given its scarcity, Odel is a distinctive choice for parents seeking a historical yet rarely used name.
Odel is a rare given name of uncertain derivation. It may be a variant of the surname Odell, which itself comes from a place name in Bedfordshire, England, meaning 'woad hill'. Alternatively, it could be a short form of Old Germanic names such as Odelbert or Odilo, derived from the element 'od' meaning wealth or fortune. The name saw modest use in the early 20th century, particularly in the 1910s, but has since fallen out of common usage.
“Odel” around the world
Where Odel lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
10
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Nicknames & variants
Sibling names for Odel
Names that share Odel's style, for a brother or sister.
