Odin last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Odin

A surname referring to the supreme Norse god of war, poetry, and wisdom.

Odin, 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 Odin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Odin in America

Odin is the 90113th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Odin surname appeared 205 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 Odin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Odin 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.

20102000Change (%)
Rank9011393006-3.16%
Count20518311.34%
Proportion per 100k0.070.070.00%

The history of the last name Odin

The surname ODIN has its origins in Scandinavia, particularly in the countries of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. It is believed to have derived from the Old Norse name "Óðinn," which was the name of the chief god in Norse mythology. This name was associated with wisdom, poetry, and magic.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname ODIN can be traced back to the Viking Age, which lasted from the late 8th century to the late 11th century. During this period, the Vikings traveled and settled in various parts of Europe, including England, where some of the earliest records of the name can be found.

One of the notable historical references to the surname ODIN is in the Domesday Book, which was a great survey of land and property commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The book contains entries for individuals with the name ODIN, indicating their presence in England at that time.

The surname ODIN has also been associated with various place names, particularly in Scandinavia. For example, the town of Odense in Denmark is believed to have derived its name from the Old Norse "Óðinsvé," meaning "Odin's sacred place."

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname ODIN. One such person was Hans Christian Odin (1572-1629), a Danish astronomer and mathematician who made significant contributions to the development of the Gregorian calendar.

Another prominent individual with the surname ODIN was Johann Adolf Odin (1796-1851), a Swedish-born naturalist and explorer who spent many years studying the natural history of the Caribbean region.

In the literary world, Walter Muir Whitehill Odin (1879-1957) was an American author and critic known for his works on Shakespeare and other literary figures.

The surname ODIN has also been associated with notable figures in the military. For example, Samuel Odin (1801-1870) was a Swedish-born American military officer who served in the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War.

Finally, one cannot forget the Norwegian explorer and ethnographer, Carl Odin (1880-1957), who made significant contributions to the study of indigenous cultures in South America.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Odin

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

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 Odin was:

Race/EthnicityPercentageTotal Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only81.46%167
Non-Hispanic Black Only5.85%12
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only(S)%(S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native(S)%(S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races2.93%6
Hispanic Origin7.80%16

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 Odin has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

20102000Change (%)
White81.46%80.33%1.40%
Black5.85%3.83%41.74%
Asian and Pacific Islander(S)%(S)%(S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native(S)%(S)%(S)%
Two or More Races2.93%4.92%-50.70%
Hispanic7.80%8.20%-5.00%

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

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

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