Given name & surname · also Greek
Odell
“a sweet melody”·“one who is wealthy”
Odell is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “a sweet melody” and “one who is wealthy”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “a sweet melody” and “one who is wealthy”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Where it comes from
This spelling has been associated with Greek and German naming traditions.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1883. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Odell through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 19,034
- 14,883 boys · 4,151 girls
- Most popular year
- 1922
- 534 babies
- 2025
- 23
- #4,495 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −28%
- Easing
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 98% boys.
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 23 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 4,495 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 26.1% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 367 in 1922. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 4,966 as a first name in 2020; 29,381 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Odell’s family of names
In English usage, Odell has a diminutive in Odie. Odell has a related form in Odel. Odell has a related form in Odie.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 14
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Odiediminutive · English
- Odyvariant
- Odelvariant
- Odellevariant
- O'dellvariant · English
- Odlevariant · English
- Odyllevariant
- Odyllvariant
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People named Odell
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Odell, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Edsel
“one who is plain” · “one who is noble and bright”
>99% boys
Erwin
“a friend of the wild boar”
>99% boys
Elbert
“a wellborn man” · “a bright man”
>99% boys
Eldridge
“a wise ruler”
>99% boys
Godfrey
“God is peace”
>99% boys
Isidore
“a gift of Isis”
>99% boys
Wilbert
“one who is willful; a bright man”
>99% boys
Adolph
“a noble, majestic wolf”
>99% boys