Odette

• Origin: French
• Meaning: (See Otto)
• Gender: Female
• pron: (o-DET)
• Variation: Odinette (Old French)

A French feminine diminutive of Ode or Odo, derived from the Germanic element aud, meaning “wealth” or “fortune” (see Otto). It is related to, but not directly derived from, Odile.

It has been used as an independent given name since at least the 14th century. An early notable bearer was Odette de Champdivers (c. 1390–c. 1425), the chief mistress of King Charles VI of France. During the king’s periods of mental illness, she reportedly entertained him by playing cards with him. She later became the subject of 19th-century French poetry, literature and paintings, and a French rose was named in her honour.

The name later became strongly associated with Odette, the enchanted princess and principal heroine of Tchaikovsky’s ballet Swan Lake and its numerous adaptations.

Odette was among the Top 100 Female Names in France at the beginning of the 20th century. It entered the Top 10 between 1923 and 1931 and peaked at #5 in 1925. By 1978, it had disappeared from the French rankings and has not returned. However in Belgium, it currently ranks in at #75 (2025).

In the United States, Odette appeared in the Top 1000 Female Names only three times during its early history: in 1895, 1899 and 1905. After an absence of 120 years, it re-entered the Top 1000 in 2025 at #881.

In England and Wales, Odette currently ranks as the 872nd most popular female name (2025). Its visibility in both countries may also have been reinforced by actress Odette Annable, Jared and Genevieve Padalecki’s daughter Odette Elliott, and the character DCI Odette Raine in the 2023 Netflix film Luther: The Fallen Sun.

Its Hungarian form of Odett currently ranks #76 among the Top Most Popular Female Names in Hungary (2025).

The designated name-day in France and Austria is April 20, March 28th in Lithuania, and July 8th in Poland.

Other Forms

• Odeta (Albanian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Provenςal)
• Odetta (Czech, German, Italian, Slovak)
• Odette (English, French, Brazilian-Portuguese)
• Odett (Hungarian)
• Odete (Portuguese)

A Medieval French masculine form is Odet, and an Italian masculine form is Odetto.

Sources

• https://www.behindthename.com/name/odette
• https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odetta_(nome)
• https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odeta
• https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odeta