Odette
A feminine name of French origin meaning "wealthy".
Name Census estimates that about 2,902 living Americans carry the first name Odette. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Odette today is around 26 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Odette births was 2024 (193 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Odette. 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.
People living today
2.9K
~ 1 in 118,110 Americans
Peak year
2024
193 babies that year
Average age
26
years old
2024 SSA rank
#1,220
Tracked since 1894
Popularity
Odette: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Odette from the 1890s through to the 2020s, spanning 14 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 850 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
Odette 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 Odette during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Odettes live
The SSA's state-level files cover 22 states and territories. California, New York, Texas recorded the most babies named Odette, while Nevada, Minnesota, Idaho recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 71 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Odette
The name Odette has its origins in the French language. It is a diminutive form of the Germanic name Oda, derived from the Old German word "od" meaning "prosperous" or "wealthy". The name Odette is thought to have emerged in the Middle Ages, particularly in France and surrounding regions.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Odette can be found in the 12th-century French courtly romance "Le Chevalier de la Charrete" by Chrétien de Troyes. In this work, Odette is depicted as a maiden who assists the knight Lancelot in his quest to rescue the imprisoned Queen Guinevere.
During the 13th century, the name Odette gained popularity in parts of northern France and the Low Countries. Historical records from this period mention several noblewomen bearing this name, including Odette de Champdivers (1220-1279), a French noblewoman and landowner.
Odette also appears in various literary works throughout history. In the 19th century, the name was famously used for the character Odette de Cygne in the ballet "Swan Lake" by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. This Odette is a princess who is transformed into a swan by an evil sorcerer's curse.
Other notable individuals named Odette include Odette Annable (born 1985), an American actress known for her roles in television series such as "Supergirl" and "Cloverfield". Odette Sansom (1912-1995) was a French World War II heroine and recipient of the George Cross for her work as a member of the Special Operations Executive.
Odette Joyeux (1914-2000) was a French film actress who appeared in over 50 movies throughout her career, while Odette Nicoletti (1892-1961) was a French painter and engraver associated with the Fauvism movement. Odette Rodin (1856-1924) was the wife and muse of the famous French sculptor Auguste Rodin.
People
Odette + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Odette 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
Odette: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Odette?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2,902 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Odette 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 118,110 US residents.
Is Odette a common name?
We classify Odette as "Rare". It ranks above 95.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 3,933 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Odette most popular?
The single biggest year for Odette was 2024, when 193 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Odette is about 26 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Odette a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Odette 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.
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.