2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Odenbrett
A German surname derived from a combination of "Oden" meaning empty or deserted and "Brett" meaning plank or board.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Odenbrett. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Odenbrett 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.
Bearers in the US
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Odenbrett in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Odenbrett, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.1%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Odenbrett
The surname ODENBRETT has its origins in Germany, where it was first recorded in the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old High German words "oden" meaning "waste" or "desolate" and "bret" meaning "board" or "plank". This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived in a remote or desolate area, perhaps in a simple dwelling made of wooden boards or planks.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name ODENBRETT can be found in a manuscript from the town of Weingarten, located in the modern-day state of Baden-Württemberg, dated to around 1180. The document mentions a certain "Heinricus Odenbrett" who was a landowner in the region.
In the 13th century, the name appears to have spread to other parts of southern Germany, with records showing individuals bearing the surname ODENBRETT in cities such as Ulm and Augsburg. It is possible that some of these individuals were descendants of the original Odenbrett family from Weingarten.
One notable ODENBRETT from this period was Johannes Odenbrett, a cleric and scholar who lived in the city of Regensburg in the late 13th century. He is known for his writings on theology and philosophy, which were influential in the intellectual circles of the time.
By the 14th century, the ODENBRETT surname had become more widespread across Germany, with branches of the family found in various regions. In 1362, a document from the town of Erbach mentions a "Konrad Odenbrett" who was a respected citizen and landowner.
Another prominent figure bearing the ODENBRETT name was Hans Odenbrett, a merchant and trader who lived in the city of Nuremberg during the 15th century. He was involved in the thriving trade networks of the time and is recorded as having conducted business with partners in cities across Europe.
As the centuries passed, the ODENBRETT surname continued to be found in various parts of Germany, although it remained relatively uncommon compared to some other German surnames. In the 18th century, there was a notable ODENBRETT named Johann Michael Odenbrett, who was a successful businessman and landowner in the region of Franconia.
One of the most recent individuals of historical significance with the ODENBRETT surname was Carl Odenbrett, a German military officer who served in the Prussian army during the 19th century. He participated in several notable campaigns, including the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 and the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Odenbrett
Among Census respondents with the surname Odenbrett, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.1%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Odenbrett 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 Odenbrett surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 106
- Hispanic or Latino6.1% · 7
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Odenbrett
Odenbrett 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
#128,249
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
+20 bearers (+17.7%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 8,534 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-18 bearers (-13.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,508 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #128,249 | 133 | 0.05 | +20 bearers (+17.7%) | Up 8,534 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -18 bearers (-13.5%) | Down 17,508 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 Odenbrett 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 | #128,249 | #145,757 | -13.7% |
| Count | 133 | 115 | -13.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -23.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Odenbrett bearers went from 133 to 115 (-13.5% change). The surname moved down 17,508 positions in the national ranking, going from #128,249 to #145,757.
FAQ
Odenbrett surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Odenbrett?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Odenbrett. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Odenbrett?
Odenbrett ranks #145,757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 115 people with the surname Odenbrett. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Odenbrett.
Has Odenbrett become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Odenbrett went from 133 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 18 (-13.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #128,249 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Odenbrett?
Among Census respondents with the surname Odenbrett, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.1%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Odenbrett in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Odenbrett appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Hispanic (6.1%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Odenbrett (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 Odenbrett mean?
A German surname derived from a combination of "Oden" meaning empty or deserted and "Brett" meaning plank or board. 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 Odenbrett (0.04 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 people are called Odenbrett?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Odenbrett on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.