Find out how popular the last name O'Dean 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'Dean.

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

Popularity of O'Dean in America

O'Dean is the 71478th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The O'Dean surname appeared 273 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 O'Dean.

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

The surname ODEAN is believed to have originated in Scotland, with its earliest known roots dating back to the 12th century. This name is thought to be a variant spelling of the Gaelic surname O'Deaghaidh or O'Deedey, which was a patronymic meaning "descendant of Deedey."

Deedey was a medieval personal name derived from the Old Irish word "deideadh," meaning "fire" or "fiery one." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone with a fiery personality or possibly someone who worked with fire, such as a blacksmith or a glassmaker.

The earliest recorded instance of the ODEAN surname can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a series of historical documents recording the names of Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England during the Wars of Scottish Independence. In these rolls, the name appears as "Odeyn."

In the 15th century, the ODEAN surname was prominent in the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the regions of Argyll and Inverness-shire. Records from this time period show various spellings, including "Odeane," "Odeyne," and "Odeyn."

One notable bearer of the ODEAN surname was Sir William Odean (c. 1530-1596), a Scottish nobleman and landowner who served as the Sheriff of Argyll during the reign of Mary, Queen of Scots. Another was John Odean (c. 1620-1684), a Presbyterian minister and theologian who played a significant role in the Covenanters' movement in Scotland.

In the 17th century, the ODEAN surname began to appear in England, possibly due to Scottish migration. A prominent figure from this period was James Odean (1658-1719), an English merchant and member of the East India Company, who amassed a considerable fortune through his trading ventures.

Other notable individuals with the ODEAN surname include:

1. Robert Odean (1745-1816), a Scottish poet and scholar known for his work on Celtic literature and mythology.
2. Margaret Odean (1810-1892), a Scottish philanthropist and advocate for women's education, who founded the Odean School for Girls in Edinburgh.
3. William Odean (1870-1948), a Scottish-American inventor and engineer, best known for his work on early automotive designs.
4. Eliza Odean (1892-1972), an American author and playwright, whose works often explored themes of identity and cultural heritage.
5. Douglas Odean (1920-2005), a British military officer who served in World War II and later became a renowned historian, writing extensively on the conflict.

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

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

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'Dean 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'Dean 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'Dean 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'Dean, please contact us.

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