Ode
A feminine name of Greek origin meaning a lyric poem celebrating someone or something.
Name Census estimates that about 1 living Americans carry the first name Ode. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Ode today is around 74 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ode births was 1927 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ode. 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
- • The typical person named Ode is about 74 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Odes were born before 1962.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Ode. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
1
~ 1 in 342,754,338 Americans
Peak year
1927
7 babies that year
Average age
74
years old
1927 SSA rank
#3,691
Tracked since 1886
Popularity
Ode: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ode from the 1880s through to the 1920s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 12 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
Ode 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 Ode 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 Ode
The name Ode has its origins in the Greek language and culture, dating back to ancient times. It is derived from the Greek word "ode," which means a lyric poem or song. The word itself comes from the Greek verb "aidein," meaning "to sing."
In ancient Greek literature, an ode was a type of lyric poem written to be sung and often accompanied by a lyre or other musical instrument. Odes were composed to celebrate important events, honor gods and heroes, or express deep emotions. The ancient Greek poets Pindar and Sappho were renowned for their odes, which were highly regarded in their time.
The name Ode appears to have been used as a given name in ancient Greece, although specific historical references are scarce. It is possible that the name was given to individuals who were associated with poetry, music, or the arts in some way.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Ode is Ode of Byzantium, a Greek poet who lived in the 5th century BC. He is known for his elegiac and lyric poetry, which has been preserved in fragments.
Another notable figure with the name Ode is Ode of Crete, a Greek mathematician and astronomer who lived in the 4th century BC. He is credited with developing a method for calculating the volume of a sphere and is considered one of the earliest mathematicians to study conic sections.
In the realm of ancient Roman history, there is a record of an individual named Ode of Patara, a Greek astronomer and mathematician who lived in the 2nd century BC. He is known for his work on predicting solar and lunar eclipses.
Moving to more modern times, one of the most famous individuals named Ode was the French poet and critic Ode de Lisle (1769-1830). He is best known for his patriotic poem "La Marseillaise," which became the national anthem of France during the French Revolution.
Another notable figure with the name Ode is Ode Nirdlinger (1892-1942), a German artist and painter associated with the Expressionist movement. His work often depicted scenes of urban life and landscapes with bold, vibrant colors.
While the name Ode is not common in modern times, its rich history and association with poetry, music, and the arts make it a unique and intriguing choice for a given name.
People
Ode + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ode as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with O
Other first names starting with O with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Ode: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ode?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ode 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 342,754,338 US residents.
Is Ode a common name?
We classify Ode as "Very Rare". It ranks above 3.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 27 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ode most popular?
The single biggest year for Ode was 1927, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ode is about 74 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 Ode in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ode a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ode 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 Ode still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ode 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 Ode 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 are called Ode?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.