Odinn
A masculineScandinavian name derived from the proto-Norse "Wōđanaz", meaning "master of frenzy".
Name Census estimates that about 108 living Americans carry the first name Odinn. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Odinn today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Odinn births was 2019 (18 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Odinn. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Odinn with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
108
~ 1 in 3,173,651 Americans
Peak year
2019
18 babies that year
Average age
8
years old
2024 SSA rank
#8,127
Tracked since 2012
Popularity
Odinn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Odinn from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 71 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Odinn remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Odinn by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Odinn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Odinn
The name Odinn originates from Old Norse, the language spoken by the Germanic peoples of Scandinavia during the Viking Age between the 8th and 11th centuries. It is believed to be derived from the Proto-Germanic word "Wōdanaz," which is related to the Old English word "Wōden" and the Old Saxon word "Wōdan." These names are thought to be connected to the Proto-Indo-European root "*wat-," meaning "to blow" or "to inspire."
Odinn was the name of the chief deity in Norse mythology, also known as the Allfather. He was associated with wisdom, war, poetry, and magic. The name appears frequently in ancient Icelandic and Old Norse texts, such as the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda, which were written in the 13th century and provide valuable insights into Norse mythology and culture.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Odinn can be found in the Old Norse poem Völuspá, which is part of the Poetic Edda and is believed to have been composed in the late 10th or early 11th century. In this poem, Odinn is depicted as a powerful and enigmatic figure who seeks knowledge from a wise woman called the Völva.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Odinn. One of the most famous was Odinn Alfsson (c. 995 - c. 1070), also known as Odinn Leireholtsstaðir, an Icelandic chieftain and poet who played a significant role in the Christianization of Iceland. Another notable figure was Odinn Sørensen (1832 - 1889), a Danish philologist and scholar of Old Norse literature.
Other individuals with the name Odinn include Odinn Benediktsson (1865 - 1935), an Icelandic politician and journalist, and Odinn Melsted (1903 - 1973), a Norwegian author and playwright. Additionally, Odinn Thormodsen (1927 - 2007) was a notable Norwegian architect and designer.
The name Odinn has held significant cultural and historical importance in Scandinavia and has been a source of inspiration for many writers, artists, and scholars throughout the centuries. Its enduring legacy reflects the profound impact of Norse mythology and the rich cultural heritage of the Viking Age.
People
Odinn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Odinn as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with O
Other first names starting with O with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Odinn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Odinn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 108 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Odinn going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 3,173,651 US residents.
Is Odinn a common name?
We classify Odinn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 65.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 109 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Odinn most popular?
The single biggest year for Odinn was 2019, when 18 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Odinn is about 8 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Odinn in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Odinn a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Odinn in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Odinn still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Odinn in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Odinn can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Odinn?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.