2000
#25,076
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 928
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.34
Rare Last name
Odeh
An Arabic surname meaning "servant" or "worshipper" of God.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,335 Americans carry the last name Odeh. That puts it at #14,159 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 146,790 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Odeh 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 Odeh with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 146,790
Census rank
#14,159
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,036 bearers of the surname Odeh in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14159th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Odeh, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.3%. The next largest groups are Black (8.3%) and Hispanic (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Odeh
The surname Odeh originated in the Middle East, primarily in the Arabic-speaking countries of the region. It is derived from the Arabic word "wadi," which means a valley or a dry riverbed. The name likely emerged as a descriptive moniker for individuals who lived near or in a valley or dry riverbed.
Odeh is an ancient name that can be traced back to the early Islamic era and the spread of Arabic culture and language across the Middle East and North Africa. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in historical documents and manuscripts from the 7th and 8th centuries, when the Arabic language and Islamic civilization were rapidly expanding.
In the 10th century, the name Odeh appeared in the records of the Abbasid Caliphate, which ruled over a vast empire stretching from modern-day Iran to Morocco. During this period, the name was associated with prominent scholars, poets, and administrators who served the caliphs.
One notable figure bearing the name Odeh was Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Muhammad al-Odeh, a renowned mathematician and astronomer who lived in the 10th century. He made significant contributions to the development of trigonometry and the study of celestial bodies.
Another historical figure with the surname Odeh was Yahya al-Odeh, a 12th-century Islamic jurist and scholar from Andalusia (modern-day Spain). He was widely respected for his expertise in Islamic jurisprudence and his contributions to the preservation of Arabic literature and cultural heritage.
In the 13th century, the name Odeh appeared in the records of the Ayyubid Dynasty, which ruled over parts of modern-day Egypt, Syria, and Yemen. During this period, the Odeh family played a prominent role in the administration and governance of various regions within the Ayyubid territories.
The Mamluk Sultanate, which succeeded the Ayyubids in the 13th century, also had notable individuals bearing the surname Odeh. One such figure was Saif al-Din al-Odeh, a military commander and governor who served under the Mamluk Sultan Baybars in the 13th century.
In more recent times, the name Odeh has been associated with several influential figures in the Arab world. For example, Walid al-Odeh was a Palestinian poet and writer who lived from 1928 to 1989 and made significant contributions to Arabic literature.
Overall, the surname Odeh has a rich and ancient history deeply rooted in the Arab and Islamic cultures of the Middle East. It has been carried by scholars, administrators, military leaders, and literary figures throughout the centuries, reflecting the diverse and vibrant tapestry of the region's cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Odeh
Among Census respondents with the surname Odeh, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.3%. The next largest groups are Black (8.3%) and Hispanic (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Odeh 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 Odeh surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.3% · 1,656
- Black or African American8.3% · 168
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 102
- Two or more races4.4% · 89
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Odeh
Odeh 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
#18,961
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,439
+511 bearers (+55.1%)
Per 100,000 0.49
Rank movement Up 6,115 places
2020
#14,159
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,036
+597 bearers (+41.5%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Up 4,802 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #25,076 | 928 | 0.34 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #18,961 | 1,439 | 0.49 | +511 bearers (+55.1%) | Up 6,115 places |
| 2020 | #14,159 | 2,036 | 0.68 | +597 bearers (+41.5%) | Up 4,802 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 Odeh 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 | #18,961 | #14,159 | 25.3% |
| Count | 1,439 | 2,036 | 41.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.49 | 0.68 | 39.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Odeh bearers went from 1,439 to 2,036 (+41.5% change). The surname moved up 4,802 positions in the national ranking, going from #18,961 to #14,159.
FAQ
Odeh surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Odeh?
Name Census estimates that about 2,335 living Americans carry the surname Odeh. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 146,790 residents.
How common is Odeh?
Odeh ranks #14,159 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.68 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 2,036 people with the surname Odeh. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,335), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.68 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 Odeh.
Has Odeh become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Odeh went from 1,439 recorded bearers to 2,036. That is an increase of 597 (+41.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #18,961 to #14,159.
What does the Census say about the background of Odeh?
Among Census respondents with the surname Odeh, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.3%. The next largest groups are Black (8.3%) and Hispanic (5.0%). 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 Odeh in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.3% (1,656 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Odeh appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.3%), Black (8.3%), Hispanic (5.0%). 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 Odeh (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 Odeh mean?
An Arabic surname meaning "servant" or "worshipper" of God. 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 Odeh (0.68 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 many Americans have the surname Odeh?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.