boy's name
Odin
OH-din
- Origin Norse
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 17,606
the United States
#502
2025 births
Odin is a boy's name of Old Norse origin meaning roughly "the frenzied one". It belongs to the chief god of Norse myth, and the root behind it names not anger but the state of possession that produces poetry, prophecy and battle-rage alike.
- Odin is a name of Norse origin.
- Peaked in 2022, when 1,023 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 5,489 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1884.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Odin over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 6 |
| 1900s | 10 |
| 1910s | 88 |
| 1920s | 66 |
| 1930s | 12 |
| 1940s | 11 |
| 1960s | 18 |
| 1970s | 66 |
| 1980s | 67 |
| 1990s | 118 |
| 2000s | 1,209 |
| 2010s | 6,435 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 5,176 |
What Odin means
Odin comes from óðr, a word covering fury, ecstasy, inspiration and poetry at once, with a suffix meaning master of. The single English word that would cover all of it does not exist, which is why the name is usually given as frenzy or inspiration depending on which half the source prefers.
Where Odin comes from
Odin is the anglicized form of the Old Norse Óðinn, from óðr — a noun meaning mind, fury or poetry, and an adjective meaning mad or possessed — plus the suffix -inn. The same god is Wōden in Old English, which survives in Wednesday, and Wodan or Wotan in the continental Germanic languages. He is the god of poetry, wisdom, war and the dead: he gives an eye at Mímir's well for a drink of wisdom, and hangs himself nine nights on the world-tree, pierced by his own spear, to win the runes — a self-sacrifice to himself that has no close parallel in European myth. Unlike Thor his name was almost never given to children in the Norse period, and its use as a first name is entirely modern, following the Marvel films and the television series Vikings.
Odin in use
Odin charts in all seven markets we track. Scotland ranks it highest at 233rd, well ahead of its position in the United States, which fits a country whose northern isles were Norse-speaking for six hundred years.
How popular is Odin?
In 2025, Odin was given to 604 babies in the United States, ranking #502 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Odin is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Odin
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Odin also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Odin over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Odin
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Odin in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Odin
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Odin — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Odin
What does the name Odin mean?
It comes from the Old Norse óðr, which means fury, ecstasy, inspiration and poetry together. Frenzied one and inspired one are both fair translations.
Who was Odin?
The chief god of Norse myth — god of poetry, wisdom, war and the dead. He traded an eye for wisdom and hung nine nights on the world-tree to win the runes.
Did Vikings name their children Odin?
Almost never. Thor's name was used in compounds constantly, but Odin's was largely avoided. Using it as a given name is a modern development.
How popular is the name Odin?
In 2025, Odin was given to 604 babies in the United States, ranking #502 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Odin a girl's or a boy's name?
Odin is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Odin?
Odin has 2 syllables.
When was Odin most popular?
Odin peaked in 2022, when 1,023 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Odin?
Odin is usually shortened to Odie.
Is Odin a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Odin currently ranks #233 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.