Odessa
Girl name · #1192 in 2025 · Rare
Odessa ranks #1192 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 193 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #2431, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 9,326 girls born in 2025 was named Odessa.
Babies named Odessa per year. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Odessa first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 14 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1920, when 464 girls were named Odessa — good for #302 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Odessa against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Odessa in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Odessa is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Odessa will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Odessa is most common
Geography matters for names, and Odessa is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Odessa is most common in WA (0.3 per 1,000), OH (0.2 per 1,000), CA (0.1 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.1 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Odessa is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Odessa
Statistically, parents drawn to Odessa tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Leora, Agatha, Viola, Ofelia, and Carmela.
LeoraAgathaViolaOfeliaCarmelaCarmellaPetraLeonora
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Odessa | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 193 | #1192 |
| 2024 | 133 | #1579 |
| 2023 | 109 | #1837 |
| 2022 | 115 | #1782 |
| 2021 | 126 | #1652 |
| 2020 | 131 | #1593 |
| 2019 | 118 | #1745 |
| 2018 | 112 | #1813 |
| 2017 | 99 | #1989 |
| 2016 | 81 | #2321 |
| 2015 | 75 | #2431 |
| 2014 | 61 | #2809 |
| 2013 | 47 | #3367 |
| 2012 | 46 | #3464 |
| 2011 | 46 | #3452 |
| 2010 | 49 | #3306 |
| 2009 | 44 | #3619 |
| 2008 | 59 | #2957 |
| 2007 | 64 | #2822 |
| 2006 | 52 | #3176 |
| 2005 | 46 | #3317 |
| 2004 | 60 | #2711 |
| 2003 | 59 | #2673 |
| 2002 | 52 | #2854 |
| 2001 | 52 | #2808 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Odessa a popular girl name?
Odessa ranked #1192 among girls in 2025 with 193 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2431.
When was the name Odessa most popular?
Odessa peaked in 1920, when 464 American girls received the name (ranked #302 that year). Since 1920 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Odessa?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 9,326 newborn American girls was named Odessa. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.