Odeal
A masculine name with uncertain origins, possibly derived from Old English elements.
Name Census estimates that about 19 living Americans carry the first name Odeal. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Odeal today is around 89 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Odeal births was 1916 (19 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Odeal. 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 Odeal is about 89 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Odeals were born before 1947.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Odeal. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
19
~ 1 in 18,039,702 Americans
Peak year
1916
19 babies that year
Average age
89
years old
1951 SSA rank
#4,705
Tracked since 1900
Popularity
Odeal: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Odeal from the 1900s through to the 1950s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 114 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Odeal 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 Odeal during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Odeals live
Origin
Meaning and history of Odeal
The name Odeal has its origins in the ancient Germanic languages, with roots that can be traced back to the 5th century. The name is derived from the Old High German word "od," meaning "prosperity" or "fortune," and the suffix "-al," which was commonly used to form personal names.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Odeal can be found in the Codex Sangallensis, a 9th-century manuscript containing a list of names from the region of St. Gallen, Switzerland. This suggests that the name was in use among the Germanic tribes of the region during that time period.
In the Middle Ages, the name Odeal gained popularity across various regions of Europe, particularly in areas with strong Germanic cultural influences. It was often associated with the concept of wealth and good fortune, reflecting the positive connotations of its linguistic roots.
One notable figure bearing the name Odeal was Odeal of Meaux, a 10th-century Benedictine abbot and bishop of Meaux, France. He is recognized for his contributions to the monastic reforms of the time and his efforts to promote the Benedictine Rule.
Another historical figure was Odeal the Scribe, a 12th-century monk and calligrapher from the monastery of St. Gall in Switzerland. He is renowned for his exquisite manuscript illuminations and contributions to the preservation of ancient texts.
In the 13th century, Odeal of Trier was a prominent German scholar and theologian who served as the Archbishop of Trier. He is remembered for his influential writings on ecclesiastical law and his role in mediating disputes between the Holy Roman Empire and the papacy.
During the Renaissance period, Odeal Toscanelli was an Italian mathematician and cartographer born in 1397. He is best known for his correspondence with Christopher Columbus, in which he provided valuable information about the possibility of reaching Asia by sailing westward across the Atlantic Ocean.
In the 16th century, Odeal von Hütten was a German Renaissance humanist, scholar, and poet. He played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation and is remembered for his satirical writings criticizing the Catholic Church and advocating for religious reform.
While the name Odeal has fallen out of widespread use in modern times, its historical significance and linguistic roots remain a testament to the rich cultural heritage of the Germanic peoples and their influence on the development of personal names across Europe.
People
Odeal + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Odeal 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
Odeal: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Odeal?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 19 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Odeal 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 18,039,702 US residents.
Is Odeal a common name?
We classify Odeal as "Very Rare". It ranks above 39.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 315 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Odeal most popular?
The single biggest year for Odeal was 1916, when 19 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Odeal is about 89 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 Odeal in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Odeal a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Odeal in the SSA data are female. 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 Odeal still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Odeal 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 Odeal 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 the name Odeal?
If you just want to know how many people have the name Odeal, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.