The name Odin has its roots in ancient Germanic and Norse mythology, originating from the Old Norse name Óðinn. It is derived from the Proto-Germanic *Wōđanaz, which is composed of the elements *wōđ- ("fury, spiritual excitement") and *anaz ("forefather"). The name is believed to have been formed in the early centuries of the Common Era, or possibly even earlier.

Odin was the most revered and powerful deity in Norse mythology, associated with wisdom, war, poetry, and magic. He was the ruler of the Aesir, the principal race of gods in Norse cosmology. The name Odin is prominently featured in the Poetic Edda, a collection of Old Norse poems dating back to the 13th century, as well as in the Prose Edda, a work by the Icelandic scholar Snorri Sturluson from the early 13th century.

One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Odin can be found in the runic inscription on the Rök Stone, a remarkable Viking Age memorial stone from around the 9th century CE, discovered in Östergötland, Sweden. The name has also been found in various other runic inscriptions and place names throughout Scandinavia and Northern Europe.

Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Odin. One of the earliest was Odin of Denmark, a semi-legendary king who ruled in the 3rd century CE and is mentioned in the Gesta Danorum, a 12th-century work by the Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus. Another early bearer of the name was Odin, a 6th-century king of the Saxons, mentioned in the Historiae by the Frankish chronicler Gregory of Tours.

In more recent times, the name Odin has been carried by individuals such as Odin Biron (1909-1992), a Russian-American actor and dancer, and Odin Carias (born 1993), a Honduran footballer. The name has also been used as a middle name, as in the case of the American author Odin Roark (1885-1948).