Odessa
How to say it: oh-DES-uh · /oʊˈdɛsə/
From Black Sea port Odessa, named for Greek Odysseus - used as romantic place-name for girls.
Odessa was the 1,021st most popular girls’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 193 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 1900s, its births are up 2.5-fold in ten years, and it is projected to rise to #909 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among girls’ names, 2025 | #1,021 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 193 |
| Share of births | 1 in 17,177 |
| Peak decade | 1900s |
| Change over 10 years | ×2.5 |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #909 |
| In France, 2025 | #1,359 among girls’ names, 15 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Once familiar in the 1900s, Odessa remains in use far below that high point. Renewed growth appears on the horizon.
What goes with it
Breathy and crisp at once, with the romance of a place name. Isadora pairs nicely in style.
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Odessa is about under 1 in 200.
Around the world
This spelling is used in English, French, Greek.
In France: #1,359 for girls in 2025.
Famous people named Odessa
- Odessa A'zion (born 2000)American actress and voice actress
- Odessa Young (born 1998)Australian actress
- Odessa Rae (born 1982)Canadian film producer
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
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