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

Odell, 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 Odell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Odell in America

Odell is the 1117th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Odell surname appeared 31,349 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 11 people would have the surname Odell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Odell 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 Odell

The surname Odell has its origins in England, dating back to the late 11th century. It is derived from the Old English words "od" meaning wealth or prosperity, and "hyll" meaning hill or ridge. The name likely originated from a place called Odell or Odel in the county of Bedfordshire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a landowner named Odo de Odell who held lands in Bedfordshire. This suggests that the Odell surname was already established by the time of the Norman Conquest.

Over the centuries, various spellings of the name have been used, including Odell, Odill, Odyll, and Odel. The earliest known record of the modern spelling "Odell" dates back to 1199, when a person named Robert de Odell was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Bedfordshire.

The surname Odell has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest was Sir John Odell (c. 1350-1414), a English knight who served under King Richard II and later fought in the Battle of Shrewsbury during the Wars of the Roses.

Another prominent figure was Jonas Odell (1619-1692), one of the founders of the town of Fairfield, Connecticut. He emigrated from England to the New World in the 17th century and played a significant role in the early settlement of the colony.

In the 18th century, Thomas Odell (1691-1749) was a renowned English playwright and poet. He wrote several successful plays, including "The Patron" and "The Grimace," and was known for his satirical style.

During the American Revolutionary War, Jacob Odell (1738-1818) served as a loyalist and was appointed the first Surveyor General of the Province of New Brunswick, Canada, in 1784.

In more recent times, Benjamin Odell (1808-1868) was an American politician who served as the 34th Governor of Florida from 1837 to 1839.

While the Odell surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly through migration and colonization. The name continues to be borne by individuals from diverse backgrounds and cultures, each with their own unique story and connection to this ancient surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Odell

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

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

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

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