Fun Facts About the Name Odhran
- 36 babies named Odhran: U.S. records list 36 babies given the name Odhran from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Odhran Mean?
Odhran is an Irish name meaning "little dun-colored one." It comes from the Irish adjective odhar (Old Irish odar), which describes a dull brown, dun, or sallow shade, and the diminutive suffix -án. The literal sense is a small or young person of that coloring, though it is used simply as a personal name rather than as a physical description.
The name is also spelled Odhrán with an accent on the final syllable, and it has been anglicized as Oran. The dh in the Irish spelling represents a voiced velar fricative sound that English speakers generally replace with a simple r-adjacent vowel or a d, which is why the anglicized form looks and sounds different.
Odhran Name History & Origins
The earliest form of the name is Odran or Odrán, built from Old Irish odar plus the diminutive ending -án, a common way of forming personal names in early Irish. Two early church figures are associated with it. Odran of Latteragh, in County Tipperary, was an abbot remembered in Irish monastic records, and Oran of Iona was a companion of Saint Columba in the sixth century and is said to have died on Iona before the monastery there was fully established.
The story that Oran was buried in the chapel ground at Iona to consecrate it belongs to later traditional accounts rather than to contemporary records, and it should be treated as legend. Some of the same storytelling attaches to the name in Irish folklore, where Oran appears as an early companion figure.
In English-speaking use the name appears most often as Oran, the anglicized form that drops the Irish dh and the accent. The fuller Irish spelling Odhran has come back into wider use in Ireland, and it is now found alongside the older anglicized version. Its Scottish Gaelic relative, Oran, is also recorded in the Hebrides.
How Popular is the Name Odhran?
Odhran has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2022. Its best rank was #10,497 in 2023.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #13,366 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2024 | #11,905 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2023 | #10,497 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2022 | #10,559 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2021 | #11,747 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2020 | #13,513 | 5 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Odhran Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are patient, persevering and strong willed. You are a good student, absorbing knowledge easily and retaining it well. You are either a saint or a sinner. You tend to hold things inside and suffer in silence. You are frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.
You find the best contentment in life when you own your own home and provide well for your family and loved ones. You have a great sense of responsibility and duty. You are comforting, appreciative and affectionate. Your obligation in life is to hold justice and truth, and if you follow the Law, you can find the great happiness and satisfaction.
✦ Odhran's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Odhran's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.