The first name Odessa
A girl’s name.
Pronounced /oʊˈdɛsə/ 3 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
Uncertain; possibly from the placename, with usage influenced by the name Odysseus.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
Odessa last appeared in the official list in 2024, given to 6 girls. It peaked in 2021, with 13 births (#2,073).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Odessa with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Odessa at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 193 girls born in the United States were named Odessa, the 1,197th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1920, when 464 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Famous people named Odessa
3 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Odessa A'zionAmerican actress and voice actress, born 2000
- Odessa YoungAustralian actress, born 1998
- Odessa RaeCanadian film producer, born 1982
Questions
- What does the name Odessa mean?
- Uncertain; possibly from the placename, with usage influenced by the name Odysseus.
- How popular is the name Odessa?
- In 2024, 6 girls born in England and Wales were named Odessa, ranking 3,695th. Its peak was 2021, with 13 births.
- Is Odessa a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 99% of the 18,718 US babies named Odessa since 1880 were girls.
- When was Odessa most popular?
- 1920 in the United States, when 464 babies were named Odessa, its highest rank at 304th.
- How do you pronounce Odessa?
- Odessa is /oʊˈdɛsə/, 3 syllables.