2000
#10,129
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,927
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.09
Rare Last name
Odea
Derived from the Gaelic "Ó Deághaidh," meaning "descendant of Deághaidh," a personal name of uncertain origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,299 Americans carry the last name Odea. That puts it at #10,618 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.96 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 103,896 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Odea surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Odea with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.3K
1 in 103,896
Census rank
#10,618
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,877 bearers of the surname Odea in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.96 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10618th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Odea, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Odea
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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Odea
Among Census respondents with the surname Odea, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Odea bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Odea surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 2,647
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 108
- Two or more races3.1% · 90
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 25
- Black or African American0.2% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Odea
Odea appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#10,751
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,968
+41 bearers (+1.4%)
Per 100,000 1.01
Rank movement Down 622 places
2020
#10,618
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,877
-91 bearers (-3.1%)
Per 100,000 0.96
Rank movement Up 133 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,129 | 2,927 | 1.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,751 | 2,968 | 1.01 | +41 bearers (+1.4%) | Down 622 places |
| 2020 | #10,618 | 2,877 | 0.96 | -91 bearers (-3.1%) | Up 133 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Odea surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #10,751 | #10,618 | 1.2% |
| Count | 2,968 | 2,877 | -3.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.01 | 0.96 | -4.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Odea bearers went from 2,968 to 2,877 (-3.1% change). The surname moved up 133 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,751 to #10,618.
FAQ
Odea surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Odea?
Name Census estimates that about 3,299 living Americans carry the surname Odea. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 103,896 residents.
How common is Odea?
Odea ranks #10,618 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.96 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,877 people with the surname Odea. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,299), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.96 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.96 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Odea.
Has Odea become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Odea went from 2,968 recorded bearers to 2,877. That is a decrease of 91 (-3.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,751 to #10,618.
What does the Census say about the background of Odea?
Among Census respondents with the surname Odea, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Odea in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (2,647 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Odea appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Hispanic (3.8%), Two or More Races (3.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Odea (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Odea mean?
Derived from the Gaelic "Ó Deághaidh," meaning "descendant of Deághaidh," a personal name of uncertain origin. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Odea (0.96 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Odea?
See how common the surname Odea is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.