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

O'Dea, 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 O'Dea surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of O'Dea in America

O'Dea is the 10751st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The O'Dea surname appeared 2,968 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname O'Dea.

We can also compare 2010 data for O'Dea 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 O'Dea

The surname ODEA is believed to have originated in Ireland, where it first emerged in the medieval era. It is thought to be an anglicized form of the Gaelic name O'Dea, which translates to "descendant of the son of God." This name was likely adopted by a devout Catholic family or one associated with the Church.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In 1317, a Brian O'Dea is mentioned as a member of the Dál gCais clan, which ruled over parts of what is now County Clare.

By the 16th century, the ODEA surname had spread throughout Munster, particularly in Counties Clare and Limerick. The name appears in the Fiants of the Tudor Conquest, a collection of administrative records from the 1500s, indicating the family's presence in the region during this turbulent time.

In the 17th century, a prominent figure named Donough O'Dea served as the Archbishop of Tuam from 1609 to 1612. He played a significant role in the Catholic Church's efforts to maintain its influence in Ireland during the Protestant Reformation.

Another notable individual was Dermot O'Dea, born in 1572, who was a Irish soldier and commander in the Nine Years' War against English rule. He fought alongside the legendary Red Hugh O'Donnell and is remembered for his bravery and military prowess.

The name ODEA can also be linked to several place names in Ireland, such as Dysert O'Dea in County Clare, which was likely named after an early clan member or landowner.

Other notable figures throughout history include John O'Dea (1793-1868), an Irish-American Catholic priest and educator who founded the first Catholic college in Oregon, and Michael O'Dea (1865-1952), an Irish-American businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the city of Seattle.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name O'Dea

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname O'Dea.

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 O'Dea 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 O'Dea 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 O'Dea was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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