NameCensus.
Rare

Odis

A masculine name of Greek origin, meaning "traveler" or "wanderer."

Name Census estimates that about 2,906 living Americans carry the first name Odis. It is a predominantly male name (98.0% of registrations). The average person named Odis today is around 64 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Odis births was 1927 (215 babies).

This page is the full Name Census profile for Odis. 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

  • Although Odis is used almost entirely for boys, the SSA data does show 171 girls registered with the name since 1880.

People living today

2.9K

~ 1 in 117,947 Americans

Peak year

1927

215 babies that year

Average age

64

years old

2024 SSA rank

#3,971

Tracked since 1884

Gender

Gender distribution for Odis

Odis leans heavily male at 98.0% of total registrations, but 171 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.

98% male
Male8,214 (98.0%)Female171 (2.0%)

Odis as a male name

  • Ranked #6,364 in 2024
  • 14 male births in 2024
  • Peak: 1921 (208 births)

Odis as a female name

  • Ranked #3,971 in 1944
  • 7 female births in 1944
  • Peak: 1920 (12 births)

Popularity

Odis: popularity over time

The SSA tracks Odis from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 15 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 1,924 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

MaleFemale
0541081612151900192019401960198020002020

Decades

Odis 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 Odis during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.

DecadeMaleFemaleTotal
1880s32032
1890s87087
1900s2315236
1910s1,283581,341
1920s1,864601,924
1930s1,311311,342
1940s1,084171,101
1950s8520852
1960s5230523
1970s3550355
1980s2430243
1990s1310131
2000s58058
2010s92092
2020s68068

Geography

Where Odis' live

The SSA's state-level files cover 17 states and territories. Texas, Arkansas, Alabama recorded the most babies named Odis, while Missouri, Michigan, Virginia recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 336 registrations each.

Origin

Meaning and history of Odis

The name Odis has its origins in Greek culture, stemming from the word "odious," which means "hateful" or "loathsome." It is believed to have emerged during the classical period of ancient Greece, around the 5th century BC.

In ancient Greek mythology, there are no direct references to the name Odis, but its negative connotation aligns with the characterization of certain antagonistic figures or villains. The earliest known record of the name Odis dates back to the 3rd century BC, when it was used as a personal name among some Greek communities.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the name Odis was a Greek philosopher who lived in the 2nd century BC. While little is known about his life and works, he is mentioned briefly in historical texts as a follower of the Cynic philosophical school.

During the Byzantine era, which spanned from the 4th to the 15th century AD, the name Odis was occasionally used among the Eastern Orthodox Christian population. In the 9th century, there was a Byzantine monk named Odis who gained recognition for his ascetic lifestyle and devotion to the faith.

In the Middle Ages, the name Odis was relatively uncommon but still appeared sporadically across various European regions. One notable figure was Odis of Meaux, a French nobleman who lived during the 12th century and played a role in the Crusades.

In more recent history, there have been a few individuals with the name Odis who achieved some level of recognition. Odis Thurman (1888-1963) was an American baseball player who played for several teams in the early 20th century. Odis Mairs (1912-1997) was a Canadian politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan from 1944 to 1964.

While the name Odis has ancient Greek roots and a somewhat negative connotation, it has been adopted and used across various cultures throughout history, albeit to a limited extent. Despite its rarity, the name has persisted over centuries, carrying a unique and distinctive character.

People

Odis + last name combinations

How many people share a full name with Odis 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

Odis: questions and answers

How many people in the U.S. are named Odis?

Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2,906 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Odis 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 117,947 US residents.

Is Odis a common name?

We classify Odis 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, 8,385 babies have been registered with this name.

When was Odis most popular?

The single biggest year for Odis was 1927, when 215 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Odis is about 64 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.

Is Odis a male name?

Yes, 98.0% of people registered as Odis 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.

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