Odell Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Odell last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Odell last name
Meaning of the Odell last name: woad hill. Odell is an English surname from Odell in Bedfordshire, "woad hill", a hill where woad was grown for its blue dye. The village appears in the Domesday Book. The last name crossed to New England in the 1600s, and in Ireland it settled in Limerick, where it is sometimes written O'Dell. A curious detail of this surname origin: despite the Irish-looking spelling, its roots are English.
Arms associated with the Odell name
English heraldry loves puns, choosing figures that echo the sound of a name, and that playful custom runs through many coats of arms linked with the Odell name.
Get your full Odell family history
This is only a glimpse of the Odell story. The full Odell history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Odell coat of arms. Get the full Odell report.
Odell name FAQ
What does the Odell name mean?
Woad hill. Common variants include O'Dell.
Where does the Odell surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Ireland and Canada.
Is there a Odell coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Odell coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).