Codell
An anglicized variant of a French surname meaning "he who lives by the hill".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Codell. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Codell today is around 35 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Codell births was 1934 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Codell. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Codell. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
1934
5 babies that year
Average age
35
years old
2001 SSA rank
#10,879
Tracked since 1934
Popularity
Codell: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Codell from the 1930s through to the 2000s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 5 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Codell by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Codell during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Codell
The name Codell is a relatively uncommon given name with its origins shrouded in mystery. It is believed to have its roots in Old English, possibly deriving from the word "cud," meaning "known" or "familiar." However, the etymology of the name remains a subject of debate among scholars.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Codell can be found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript record of the great survey commissioned in 1086 by William the Conqueror. This suggests that the name was in use in England during the 11th century, although it was likely rare even in those times.
Throughout history, there have been a few notable individuals who bore the name Codell. One such person was Codell Williams, an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Westbury from 1654 to 1659. He played a role in the tumultuous years of the English Civil War and the Interregnum period.
Another historically significant figure was Codell Hendrickson, a Norwegian explorer who is credited with being one of the first Europeans to set foot in the Antarctic region. Hendrickson embarked on several expeditions to the southern polar regions in the late 19th century, contributing valuable information to the field of exploration and cartography.
In the realm of literature, there was Codell Fairbanks, an American novelist and short story writer who achieved modest success in the early 20th century. Fairbanks' works often explored themes of love, loss, and the human condition, reflecting the societal changes of his time.
Moving into the modern era, one notable bearer of the name was Codell Caldwell, an American civil rights activist who played a pivotal role in the desegregation movement in the 1950s and 1960s. Caldwell was a prominent figure in the fight against racial discrimination and worked tirelessly to promote equality and justice.
While the name Codell may not be as widespread as some other given names, it has left its mark on history through the achievements and contributions of those who bore it. From politicians and explorers to writers and activists, the name Codell has been associated with individuals who have made a lasting impact in their respective fields.
People
Codell + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Codell as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Codell: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Codell?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Codell going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Codell a common name?
We classify Codell as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Codell most popular?
The single biggest year for Codell was 1934, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Codell is about 35 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Codell in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Codell a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Codell in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Codell still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Codell in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Codell can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Codell as a first name?
If you just want to know how many people share the name Codell, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.