NameCensus.

UK surname

Odowd

An Irish surname meaning "descendant of Dubhda", a personal name deriving from the word "dubh" meaning dark or black.

In the 1881 census there were 139 people recorded with the Odowd surname, ranking it #16,228 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,134, ranked #5,195, up from #16,228 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, London parishes and Halifax. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wirral, Stroud and Blaenau Gwent.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Odowd is 1,182 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 715.8%.

1881 census count

139

Ranked #16,228

Modern count

1,134

2016, ranked #5,195

Peak year

1999

1,182 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Odowd had 139 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,228 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,134 in 2016, ranked #5,195.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 264 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Odowd surname distribution map

The map shows where the Odowd surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Odowd surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Odowd over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 33 #27,390
1861 historical 24 #30,922
1881 historical 139 #16,228
1891 historical 174 #16,520
1901 historical 260 #12,817
1911 historical 264 #12,449
1997 modern 1,094 #5,097
1998 modern 1,152 #5,047
1999 modern 1,182 #4,999
2000 modern 1,166 #5,024
2001 modern 1,139 #5,031
2002 modern 1,142 #5,120
2003 modern 1,114 #5,119
2004 modern 1,099 #5,187
2005 modern 1,073 #5,247
2006 modern 1,057 #5,309
2007 modern 1,065 #5,321
2008 modern 1,083 #5,283
2009 modern 1,098 #5,326
2010 modern 1,135 #5,292
2011 modern 1,119 #5,303
2012 modern 1,115 #5,228
2013 modern 1,158 #5,151
2014 modern 1,180 #5,098
2015 modern 1,149 #5,159
2016 modern 1,134 #5,195

Geography

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Where Odowds are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, London parishes, Halifax and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wirral, Stroud, Blaenau Gwent, County Durham and Islington. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
4 London parishes London 3
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wirral 011 Wirral
2 Stroud 005 Stroud
3 Blaenau Gwent 005 Blaenau Gwent
4 County Durham 051 County Durham
5 Islington 021 Islington

Forenames

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First names often paired with Odowd

These lists show first names that appear often with the Odowd surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Odowd

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Odowd, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Odowd surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Odowd household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Odowd is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Odowd is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Odowd falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Odowd is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Odowd, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Odowd

The surname ODOWD has its origins in Ireland, with records indicating its presence as early as the 11th century. The name is derived from the Irish Gaelic "Ó Dubhda," meaning "descendant of Dubhda" or "dark-colored one." This patronymic name is rooted in the ancient Irish tradition of identifying individuals by their ancestors or physical characteristics.

The earliest known reference to the ODOWD surname can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. These annals mention several individuals with the surname, such as Tadhg Odowd, who was a notable chieftain in County Sligo during the 13th century.

Historical records also indicate that the ODOWDs were a prominent family in County Mayo, particularly in the Barony of Erris. They held significant influence and power in the region during the medieval period. One notable figure from this lineage was Maoilir Odowd, who served as the Bishop of Killala in the late 15th century.

The ODOWD surname has undergone various spelling variations throughout history, including O'Dowd, O'Dowde, Dowda, and Dowde. These variations reflect the fluid nature of surname spellings in earlier times, as well as regional dialectal differences.

Notable individuals bearing the ODOWD surname include:

1. Bernard O'Dowd (1866-1953), an Australian poet and journalist known for his works celebrating nature and the Australian landscape. 2. Mary Odowd (1909-1976), an American actress and singer who appeared in several Broadway musicals and films during the 1930s and 1940s. 3. John Odowd (1732-1811), an Irish-American Catholic priest who played a significant role in the establishment of the Catholic Church in Pennsylvania. 4. Fergus O'Dowd (born 1952), an Irish politician and member of the Fine Gael party, serving as a Teachta Dála (Member of Parliament) since 1997. 5. Liam O'Dowd (born 1957), an Irish academic and professor of sociology at University College Dublin, known for his research on the Irish diaspora and transnational studies.

While the ODOWD surname has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread across the globe, particularly through Irish emigration to countries like the United States, Australia, and Canada. The name continues to hold a rich history and cultural significance, reflecting the enduring legacy of Irish heritage.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Odowd families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Odowd surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 21 Odowds recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.13x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 21 2.13x
Middlesex 19 2.29x
Cheshire 12 6.56x
Warwickshire 12 5.74x
Derbyshire 4 3.08x
Northumberland 3 2.43x
Surrey 3 0.74x
Glamorgan 2 1.39x
Kent 2 0.71x
Midlothian 2 1.80x
Yorkshire 2 0.24x
Essex 1 0.61x
Lanarkshire 1 0.37x
Staffordshire 1 0.36x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Toxteth Park in Lancashire leads with 9 Odowds recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.02x.

Place Total Index
Toxteth Park 9 27.02x
Chester St John Baptist 8 243.16x
Aston 7 12.16x
Paddington London 7 22.97x
Islington London 6 7.47x
Birmingham 4 5.74x
Heanor 4 206.19x
Liverpool 4 6.69x
Accrington 3 33.56x
West Derby 3 10.42x
Westgate 3 39.27x
Comberbach 2 2222.22x
Lambeth 2 2.77x
Margate St John Baptist 2 38.61x
St Giles In Fields London 2 49.14x
Tranmere 2 29.72x
Amblecote 1 125.00x
Barony 1 1.47x
Blackburn 1 3.82x
Cardiff St John 1 21.19x
Coventry Holy Trinity 1 16.03x
Edinburgh New 1 116.28x
Edinburgh St Georges 1 43.29x
Hammersmith London 1 4.90x
Ingatestone 1 384.62x
Kensington London 1 2.17x
Leeds 1 2.16x
Llanwonno 1 19.27x
Nether Hallam 1 8.99x
Rotherhithe 1 9.77x
St Anne Soho London 1 21.14x
Westminster St Margaret 1 25.00x
Worsley 1 16.50x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Odowd surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Margaret 7
Sarah 7
Catherine 5
Mary 4
Maria 3
Elizabeth 2
Ann 1
Bridget 1
Charlotte 1
Dorah 1
Edith 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Hannah 1
Johannah 1
Kate 1
Priscilla 1
Ruth 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Odowd surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 8
Patrick 5
Thomas 5
James 4
Charles 3
Bernard 2
Edward 2
Alfred 1
Andrew 1
Austin 1
Dominac 1
George 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Louis 1
Pat 1
Timothy 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Odowd surname: questions and answers

How common was the Odowd surname in 1881?

In 1881, 139 people were recorded with the Odowd surname. That placed it at #16,228 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Odowd surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,134 in 2016. That gives Odowd a modern rank of #5,195.

What does the Odowd surname mean?

An Irish surname meaning "descendant of Dubhda", a personal name deriving from the word "dubh" meaning dark or black.

What does the Odowd map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Odowd bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.