Fun Facts About the Name Odin
- More than 13 thousand babies named Odin: U.S. records list 13,273 babies given the name Odin from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Odin Mean?
Odin is the English form of Old Norse Óðinn, the name of the chief god of Norse mythology. It comes from Proto-Germanic *Wōđanaz, an agent noun formed on the root *wōđaz, which meant "frenzy, rage, or inspiration." The literal sense is usually given as "the frenzied one" or "the inspired one." That same root is related to Old English wōd ("mad, frantic") and appears in Old Norse óðr, meaning "frenzy, ecstasy, or inspiration."
The god Odin is associated with wisdom, war, death, poetry, and magic, but those are attributes of the deity, not the meaning of the name itself. The name's meaning rests on the older "frenzy/inspiration" root rather than on any later symbolic reading.
Odin Name History & Origins
The Germanic name behind Odin is recorded in several early forms: Old English Wōden, Old Saxon Wōdan, Old High German Wuotan (later Wotan), and Old Norse Óðinn. One of the earliest surviving written traces of the name is the Nordendorf fibula, a 6th-century brooch found in Bavaria, which bears the word Wodan. In Anglo-Saxon England, Wōden was named as a royal ancestor in genealogies of early kings, and the god's name survives in the weekday Wednesday, from Old English Wōdnesdæg ("Woden's day").
In medieval Iceland, Óðinn is a central figure in the Poetic Edda and in the Prose Edda compiled by Snorri Sturluson in the 13th century. The modern English form Odin follows the Old Norse spelling and pronunciation rather than the older English Wōden.
As a personal given name, Odin is used in Scandinavia, and it has also been adopted as a given name in English-speaking countries.
How Popular is the Name Odin?
Odin recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2022. Its best rank was #327 in 2021.
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 | #502 | 604 | 0.0354% |
| 2024 | #479 | 641 | 0.0374% |
| 2023 | #361 | 903 | 0.0529% |
| 2022 | #331 | 1,022 | 0.0586% |
| 2021 | #327 | 1,009 | 0.0577% |
| 2020 | #331 | 990 | 0.0574% |
| 2019 | #331 | 1,011 | 0.0564% |
| 2018 | #337 | 998 | 0.0550% |
| 2017 | #366 | 903 | 0.0488% |
| 2016 | #383 | 836 | 0.0441% |
| 2015 | #447 | 690 | 0.0360% |
| 2014 | #475 | 604 | 0.0315% |
| 2013 | #572 | 453 | 0.0240% |
| 2012 | #639 | 375 | 0.0198% |
| 2011 | #720 | 316 | 0.0166% |
| 2010 | #858 | 247 | 0.0129% |
| 2009 | #983 | 202 | 0.0102% |
| 2008 | #983 | 202 | 0.0099% |
| 2007 | #1,047 | 181 | 0.0087% |
| 2006 | #1,287 | 130 | 0.0063% |
| 2005 | #1,387 | 108 | 0.0054% |
| 2004 | #1,363 | 107 | 0.0054% |
| 2003 | #1,360 | 100 | 0.0051% |
| 2002 | #1,468 | 87 | 0.0045% |
| 2001 | #2,108 | 50 | 0.0026% |
| 2000 | #2,319 | 42 | 0.0021% |
| 1999 | #3,458 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 1998 | #6,175 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1997 | #4,399 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1996 | #5,097 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1995 | #6,814 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1994 | #3,428 | 20 | 0.0010% |
| 1993 | #6,658 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1992 | #7,188 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1991 | #7,970 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1990 | #5,694 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1988 | #4,688 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1987 | #5,916 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1986 | #7,507 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1985 | #5,585 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1984 | #7,027 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1983 | #5,320 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1982 | #4,485 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1981 | #4,067 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1980 | #5,340 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1979 | #6,760 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1978 | #4,900 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1977 | #5,645 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1976 | #6,221 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1975 | #3,856 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 1974 | #4,492 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1973 | #3,374 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1972 | #3,282 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1970 | #4,117 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1969 | #3,832 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1966 | #3,817 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1964 | #4,456 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1944 | #3,774 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1943 | #3,460 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1932 | #4,143 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1930 | #3,503 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1929 | #4,385 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1928 | #3,006 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1927 | #4,073 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1926 | #4,061 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1925 | #2,881 | 10 | 0.0009% |
| 1924 | #3,754 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1923 | #4,119 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1922 | #3,775 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1920 | #2,903 | 10 | 0.0009% |
| 1919 | #2,816 | 10 | 0.0010% |
| 1918 | #2,048 | 16 | 0.0016% |
| 1917 | #2,383 | 12 | 0.0013% |
| 1916 | #2,495 | 11 | 0.0012% |
| 1915 | #2,407 | 11 | 0.0013% |
| 1914 | #2,222 | 10 | 0.0015% |
| 1913 | #2,050 | 9 | 0.0018% |
| 1912 | #1,842 | 9 | 0.0021% |
| 1905 | #1,372 | 5 | 0.0038% |
| 1902 | #1,260 | 5 | 0.0041% |
| 1884 | #938 | 6 | 0.0052% |
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.
Explore More Lists with Name Odin
Most Popular Boy Names That Start with O
Short Boy Names That Start with O
How the Name Odin 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.
✦ Odin's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Odin's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.