Odesa
Odesa, also spelled Odessa, is the third-most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrative centre of the Odesa Raion and Odesa Oblast, as well as a multiethnic cultural centre.
Meaning & Origin of Odesa
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Odesa, also spelled Odessa, is the third-most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrative centre of the Odesa Raion and Odesa Oblast, as well as a multiethnic cultural centre.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Origin & history
The Story of Odesa
Odesa first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1920, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1920, when 5 Odesas were born — ranking #4,975 that year. As of 2026, Odesa ranks #15,178 for baby girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 10 Odesas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1920s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Odesa
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Vladimir de Pachmann (1848–1933) a pianist of Russian-German ethnicity noted for performing the works of Chopin, was from Odesa.
- Yefrosyniya Zarnytska (1867–1936), actress
- Pyotr Schmidt (1867–1906) (better known as "Lieutenant Schmidt"), one of the leaders of the Sevastopol uprising , was born in Odesa.
- Ze'ev Jabotinsky (1880–1940), was born in Odesa, and largely developed his version of Zionism there in the early 1920s.
- Alexander Olshanetsky (1892 – 1946), an American composer , conductor , and violinist . He was a major figure within the Yiddish theatre scene in New York City , born in Odesa.
- Stasys Pundzevičius (1893–1980), Chief of the Lithuanian Air Force in the interwar Lithuania, was born in Odesa.
- Emil Grigoryevich Gilels (1916–1985), widely regarded as one of the greatest pianists of all time, was born in Odesa.
- Janka Bryl (1917–2006), Belarusian writer, was born in Odesa.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Odesa
Phonetically similar names — useful when Odesa is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Odesa
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About the name Odesa
Odesa is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1920 and has accumulated 10 births in the dataset. Odesa's peak popularity came in 1920 when it ranked #4,975. Use the chart and map above to compare Odesa's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1920 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- Names starting with "O" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.