Find out how popular the last name Oddy is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Oddy.

Oddy, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Oddy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Oddy in America

Oddy is the 59017th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Oddy surname appeared 343 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Oddy.

We can also compare 2010 data for Oddy to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Oddy

The surname Oddy is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English personal name "Oda" or "Odda," which itself comes from the Old Norse word "oddr," meaning "point" or "sharp end." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a pointed or sharp geographical feature.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Ode" and "Odi." This monumental survey, commissioned by William the Conqueror, recorded landholders and their holdings across much of England and parts of Wales.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, including "Oddy," "Oddie," and "Odye." These variations likely stemmed from different regional pronunciations and spellings. During this time, the name was primarily concentrated in Yorkshire and Lancashire, with some instances also found in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.

Notable individuals with the surname Oddy include William Oddy (1552-1619), an English clergyman and theologian who served as the Bishop of Llandaff. Another prominent figure was Sir John Oddy (1620-1692), a wealthy merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1676.

In the 18th century, John Oddy (1728-1807) was a notable English engraver and artist, best known for his portrait engravings and illustrations in books. Meanwhile, James Oddy (1770-1845) was a successful businessman and philanthropist from Yorkshire, who made significant contributions to the development of his local community.

Moving into the 19th century, Jonas Oddy (1818-1889) was a British engineer and inventor who played a crucial role in the development of the modern steam engine. His innovations contributed to the advancement of industrial technology during the Industrial Revolution.

Throughout its history, the surname Oddy has been associated with various place names and locations across England, particularly in the northern regions. Some examples include Oddy Wood in Yorkshire, Oddy Croft in Lancashire, and Oddy Farm in Derbyshire. These place names likely originated from individuals with the surname Oddy who lived or owned land in those areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Oddy

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Oddy.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Oddy was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Oddy has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Oddy was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Oddy, please contact us.

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