History of your Surname
Get access to O'dell family records.Start a free trial

O'dell Family History

O'dell Name Meaning

Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.


Similar surnames: Odell, Oswell, Dell, Orrell, Bodell, Cordell, Adell, Rydell, Rodell

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the O'dell family from?

You can see how O'dell families moved over time by selecting different census years. The O'dell family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Scotland between 1880 and 1920. The most O'dell families were found in USA in 1880. In 1880 there were 165 O'dell families living in New York. This was about 20% of all the recorded O'dell's in USA. New York had the highest population of O'dell families in 1880.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the O'dell surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your O'dell ancestors do for a living?

Census records can tell you a lot of little known facts about your O'dell ancestors, such as occupation. Occupation can tell you about your ancestor's social and economic status.

What O'dell family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 189,000 census records available for the last name O'dell. Like a window into their day-to-day life, O'dell census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for O'dell

Passenger Lists

There are 11,000 immigration records available for the last name O'dell. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all O'dell immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 33,000 military records available for the last name O'dell. For the veterans among your O'dell ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all O'dell military records

You've only scratched the surface of O'dell family history

Discover More

What is the average O'dell lifespan?

Between 1993 and 2004, in the United States, O'dell life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1994, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for O'dell in 1993 was 59, and 49 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for O'dell

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the O'dell family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the O'dell last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial