Odhran
Irish name meaning "little pale green one" or "little green one".
Name Census estimates that about 31 living Americans carry the first name Odhran. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Odhran today is around 4 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Odhran births was 2022 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Odhran. 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 Odhran. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
31
~ 1 in 11,056,592 Americans
Peak year
2022
7 babies that year
Average age
4
years old
2024 SSA rank
#11,905
Tracked since 2020
Popularity
Odhran: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Odhran 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 Odhran during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 31 | 0 | 31 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Odhran
The given name Odhran has its origins in the Irish language and culture, dating back to the early medieval period. It is derived from the Old Irish word "odhrán," which means "pale" or "sallow-complexioned." The name is a diminutive form of "odhar," referring to a pale or dun color.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Odhran can be found in the hagiography of St. Odhran of Iona, a 6th-century Irish monk and missionary. According to tradition, St. Odhran was a close companion of St. Columba and played a significant role in the establishment of the monastic community on the island of Iona, off the west coast of Scotland.
Another notable figure in history bearing the name Odhran was Odhran of Lethrbhalor, an Irish poet and philosopher who lived in the 7th century. He was renowned for his wisdom and is credited with composing several poems and philosophical works that have been preserved in Irish literary tradition.
In the 9th century, an Irish abbot named Odhran served as the head of the famous monastery of Clonmacnoise, a prominent center of learning and religious life in medieval Ireland. Odhran's tenure as abbot is recorded in the Annals of Ulster, a significant historical source from that period.
During the Middle Ages, the name Odhran was also associated with several Irish saints and religious figures. One such saint was St. Odhran of Waterford, who lived in the 7th century and is venerated as the patron saint of the city of Waterford, Ireland.
In the 18th century, an Irish poet and playwright named Odhran Mac an Bhaird gained acclaim for his contributions to the Irish literary tradition. His works, written in the Irish language, explored themes of love, nature, and the complexities of human experience.
While the name Odhran has its roots in Irish culture, it has been adopted and used in various forms across other cultures and languages. However, the historical references and notable figures mentioned above highlight the name's deep connections to its Irish origins and the rich cultural and literary heritage associated with it.
People
Odhran + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Odhran 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
Odhran: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Odhran?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 31 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Odhran 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 11,056,592 US residents.
Is Odhran a common name?
We classify Odhran as "Very Rare". It ranks above 47% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 31 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Odhran most popular?
The single biggest year for Odhran was 2022, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Odhran is about 4 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Odhran a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Odhran 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.
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.