Meaning:
Its source is wad dell, an Old English name meaning "Woad hill."
Popularity:
The name Odell ranked 1910th in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.
Though this name appears on the 1990 U.S. Census lists, it is used by only a small percentage of the general population.
Narrative:
Woad is a plant from which a blue dye can be extracted. In ancient times, it often had religious significance.
Julius Caesar reported that the British tribesmen he fought in his war of conquest often wore nothing else into battle -- ostensibly to terrify their enemies, but possibly also as a divine shield. Closer to Caesar's home, Roman women used it as an eye makeup, especially for certain religious rites.