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Odel
How to Pronounce Odel
Pronounced oh-DEL /oΚΛdΙl/Low
Meaning: Odel is a single-l spelling of Odell, an English surname taken from a village in Bedfordshire whose name joined Old English wad, 'woad' (a plant used for blue dye), to hyll, 'hill,' giving 'woad hill.' Carried as a first name in America, it keeps that place-name meaning; the shorter spelling is cosmetic.Low
Popularity in the U.S. Β· SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880βpresent). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Odel comes from Odell, an English place and family name meaning 'woad hill,' from the dye plant woad that grew on the slope. Like many English surnames it crossed into use as a given name, especially in the American South, where surname-names for boys were popular. The single-l Odel is simply a lighter spelling of that same name.
Odel appears in United States records mostly in the early twentieth century, given to about fifteen boys at its best around the mid-nineteen-twenties and thinly scattered afterward. A boy named Odel then would belong to the great-grandparent generation today.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Odel mean?
It is a variant of Odell, an English place-and-surname name meaning 'woad hill.'
How do you pronounce Odel?
It is said oh-DEL /oΚΛdΙl/ - two syllables, stress on the second.
Is Odel a boy or girl name?
Odel is used as a boy's name.
How popular is Odel?
It was always rare in the United States, seen mostly in the early nineteen-hundreds and given to only about fifteen boys at its best.