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

Odekirk, 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 Odekirk surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Odekirk in America

Odekirk is the 46811th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Odekirk surname appeared 454 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 Odekirk.

We can also compare 2010 data for Odekirk 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 Odekirk

The surname Odekirk is believed to have originated in the Scottish Lowlands, likely in the region of Dumfriesshire, during the 12th or 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "od" or "ode," meaning wealth or prosperity, and "kirk," meaning church.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented Scottish landowners who pledged allegiance to King Edward I of England. The entry "Hugo de Odekyrk" suggests that the name was in use by the late 13th century.

The Odekirk name is also found in various medieval charters and land records from the Scottish Borders region, such as the Inquisitio de Tervyn from 1368, which mentions a "Johannes de Odekirk" as a landowner in the village of Terregles.

In the 16th century, the Odekirk family was well-established in the Dumfriesshire area, with several members holding positions of prominence. One notable figure was Robert Odekirk (c. 1520-1588), who served as the Provost of Dumfries, a powerful administrative role in the local government.

Another historical reference to the name can be found in the records of the Scottish Reformation, where a minister named Andrew Odekirk (c. 1545-1612) played a role in the spread of Protestantism in the Scottish Borders region during the late 16th century.

The Odekirk surname has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Odekirk Hill and Odekirk Moss, both located in Dumfriesshire. These place names likely derived from the surname itself, reflecting the family's presence and influence in the area.

Other notable individuals with the Odekirk surname throughout history include:

1. William Odekirk (c. 1680-1745), a Scottish merchant and landowner in Annandale.
2. James Odekirk (1712-1782), a prominent Edinburgh lawyer and judge.
3. Margaret Odekirk (1765-1832), a Scottish poet and author.
4. John Odekirk (1818-1896), a Scottish-born civil engineer who worked on various railway projects in England and Wales.
5. Elizabeth Odekirk (1845-1912), a Scottish philanthropist and social reformer active in the temperance movement.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Odekirk

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

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 Odekirk 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 Odekirk 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 Odekirk was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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