Oden
Masculine · “fury”
Oden is Odin, the Norse god who hanged himself on the world tree to win the runes — and Wednesday is his day.
How old is the name Oden?
Oden first appears in US birth records in 1912 — 113 years ago. The typical Oden is a kid of about 9 — this name's wave is very recent. About 1,400 people named Oden are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Oden most popular?
Oden peaked in 2022, reaching #1678 nationally. Today it ranks #2020, 342 places below that high. See the whole 2022 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
From óðr to Oden
The story of Oden
Odin hung nine nights on the world tree, pierced by a spear and sacrificed to himself, to win the runes; he also traded an eye for a drink from the well of wisdom. Wednesday is Woden's day, and Tuesday, Thursday and Friday are named for three more Norse gods. Oden appears in American records in current use.
Meaning
fury, inspiration, frenzy
From the Old Norse Óðinn, built on óðr, 'fury', 'poetry' or 'inspiration' — the same word covering rage and poetic possession. Cognate with the Old English Woden, whence Wednesday, and the German Wotan. The root is documented and the sense range genuine.
How the name formed
- óðr
- Óðinn
- Oden
Related forms: Óðinn · Oden · Odin
Pronouncing Oden
OH-dun
Two syllables, stress on the first. Swedish Oden is said the same way; English Odin is OH-din.
Nicknames for Oden
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1912
- Most boys named
- 2022102 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #1678reached in 2022
- Change vs 2024
- +13.8%74 in 2025, from 65
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Oden in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Óðinn in Old Norse — related form
- Oden in Swedish — same name
- Odin in English — spelling variant
Strongest US states over the last decade: California, Texas, Minnesota.
Odens among us
people named Oden are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 boy in 23,082 born in 2025 was named Oden
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
The Terran test
Every popular name lives one long story — a climb, a peak, a slow settling back. Oden's later chapters haven't been written yet, so we borrowed them: Terran climbed just as high around 1992, and its whole arc is on record. Line the two peaks up, and Terran's path sketches the road Oden is walking now.
Oden sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Where Oden is headed
Oden should hold steady through 2030 — the curve is flat, and flat curves are the most predictable kind.
Medium confidence — fitted on official counts through 2025.
A damped-trend projection of the official birth data — a sketch of momentum, not a promise. Every name's forecast, ranked.
Oden beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Oden in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US boys given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- That one word covers rage and poetic inspiration is a first-rate piece of Norse.
- Four days of the English week are named for Norse gods, this one included.
- Two clean syllables with no pronunciation risk.
- Odin is the standard English spelling.
- It names a major deity, which some families will weigh.
- Oden and Odin will be confused constantly.
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What they receive
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Oden
Masculine · #2020 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Odens are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 1,400 people named Oden are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Oden in 2025?
- Oden ranks #2020 among US boy names in 2025, with 74 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Oden?
- About 1 in every 23,082 US boys born in 2025 was named Oden — 74 in all.
- Will my child share the name Oden with classmates?
- Oden will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Oden
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Lemuel#2020 · Kyan#2020 · Joah#2020 · Leviticus#2020 · Basil#2020 · Rigoberto#2020 · Domingo#2020 · Aaryan#2020
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Oden? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Oden and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
Compare side by sideIn a hurry? Just pick a winner — one tap, no sign-up, and you see how everyone else voted.
Weighing a whole shortlist? Add the rest in the builder, or settle it with a bracket.
Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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