Unisex name · since 1883
Odell
Since 1883, U.S. Social Security records show 14,883 babies named Odell, peaking in 1922. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #979 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #4,398 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 14,883
- born since 1883
- 1920s
- peak decade
Yes -- Odell is the #4398 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 14,883 recorded since 1883.
Odell has 14,883 recorded births among boys since 1883, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #4398 as of the latest data, more common than 68% of boys, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1883 to 2025.
- #979 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #4,398 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 14,883 born since 1883
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Odell ranks #979 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #4,398 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 14,883 born since 1883, peaking in the 1920s.
- #979 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #4,398 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 14,883
- born since 1883
- 1920s
- peak decade
Odell's 14,883 recorded births place it above 97.84% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
26 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by North Carolina.
How Odell compares
14,883 Top 7% higher than 93% of 13,930 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Odell's all-time total is 40x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Odell | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 14,883 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 367 | 34 | 22,252 |
Odell's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Odell splits its recorded history at 1957: 25% of all births land in the more recent half, 75% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1892 (6 births) -- compare that against the 1922 peak of 367 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Odell popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1883–2025
- Peak year (1922)
- 367
- Annual births at peak, across 143 years of records
Odell popularity over time - girls
4,151 total births recorded since 1889 (Odell as girls' name)
Odell by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (3,035 births, 20% of the file).
1920s was Odell's strongest decade.
3,035 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Odell births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 29
1880s
29 births
- 1890s 64
1890s
64 births
- 1900s 359
1900s
359 births
- 1910s
1910s
1,847 births
- 1920s
1920s
3,035 births
- 1930s
1930s
2,459 births
- 1940s
1940s
2,113 births
- 1950s
1950s
1,769 births
- 1960s 1,019
1960s
1,019 births
- 1970s 726
1970s
726 births
- 1980s 505
1980s
505 births
- 1990s 369
1990s
369 births
- 2000s 198
2000s
198 births
- 2010s 238
2010s
238 births
- 2020s 153
2020s
153 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 3,035 births (20% of all-time use).
How Odell compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Odell's total volume
Odell by state
Where Odell concentrates geographically, total births since 1883
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | North Carolina | | 1,613 | 10.8% |
| #2 | South Carolina | | 1,447 | 9.7% |
| #3 | Texas | | 1,251 | 8.4% |
| #4 | Mississippi | | 1,064 | 7.1% |
| #5 | Arkansas | | 883 | 5.9% |
| #6 | Tennessee | | 777 | 5.2% |
| #7 | Georgia | | 617 | 4.1% |
| #8 | Alabama | | 468 | 3.1% |
1,613 of 14,883 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 26 reporting states.
Odell appears in 26 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Odell? ▼
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When was Odell most popular? ▼
Where is Odell most popular? ▼
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What to do with Odell's data
- Odell's decade-level peak was the 1920s (3,035 total births); usage has since declined to 153 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- North Carolina records the most Odells (1,613 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. North Carolina names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Odell
Nearby Names Like Odell
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Odell
Compare Odell side by side: Odell vs Oden Odell vs Odes Odell vs Odean
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Odell
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Odell: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1922)
Similar record span (~142 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1883–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Odell draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.