Odhran: Meaning, Pronunciation and Origin
Odhran is an Irish boy's name meaning “dark-haired.” Here’s how to say it, where it comes from, and names that go well with it.
Updated September 2026
- Irish spelling
- Odhrán
- Meaning
- Dark-haired
- Gender
- Boy
- English forms
- Odran
- Popularity in Ireland
- No. 93 for boys (2025)
How do you pronounce Odhran?
Odhran is pronounced O-ran. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first. It can also be said O-rin. Other spellings: Oran and Orin.
What does Odhran mean?
Odhran or Orin. From Orin meaning an otter. Seventeen saints have used the name and Odhran, abbot of Meath, was one of the 12 devotees who accompanied St. Columba to Iona. When he died soon after their arrival Columba saw Odhran’s soul ascending to heaven, following a battle between angels and devils. Another Odhran, was the charioteer of St. Patrick.
How popular is Odhran in Ireland?
In 2025, 63 baby boys in Ireland were named Odhrán, which made it No. 93 that year. Another 47 were registered as Odhran or Ódhran. That's down from No. 69 ten years earlier. It was most popular in 2016, when 128 baby boys were named Odhran, No. 58 that year. The most babies got the name in 2020: 155. It first appears in the records in 1971, with 5 baby boys.
See the numbers by year
| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 110 | No. 93 (Odhrán) |
| 2024 | 143 | No. 81 (Odhrán) |
| 2023 | 125 | No. 83 (Odhrán) |
| 2022 | 132 | No. 88 (Odhrán) |
| 2021 | 145 | No. 81 (Odhran) |
| 2020 | 155 | No. 81 (Odhrán) |
| 2019 | 149 | No. 92 (Odhran) |
| 2018 | 103 | No. 131 (Odhran) |
| 2017 | 111 | No. 64 (Odhran) |
| 2016 | 128 | No. 58 (Odhran) |
| 2015 | 113 | No. 69 (Odhran) |
| 2014 | 124 | No. 66 (Odhran) |
| 2013 | 111 | No. 72 (Odhran) |
| 2012 | 98 | No. 82 (Odhran) |
| 2011 | 89 | No. 88 (Odhran) |
| 2010 | 100 | No. 75 (Odhran) |
| 2009 | 98 | No. 82 (Odhran) |
| 2008 | 88 | No. 89 (Odhran) |
| 2007 | 69 | No. 104 (Odhran) |
| 2006 | 58 | No. 109 (Odhran) |
| 2005 | 55 | No. 104 (Odhran) |
| 2004 | 59 | No. 100 (Odhran) |
| 2003 | 28 | No. 147 (Odhran) |
| 2002 | 24 | No. 159 (Odhran) |
| 2001 | 37 | No. 120 (Odhran) |
| 2000 | 27 | No. 139 (Odhran) |
| 1999 | 15 | No. 180 (Odhran) |
| 1998 | 15 | No. 168 (Odhran) |
| 1997 | 17 | No. 174 (Odhran) |
| 1996 | 18 | No. 169 (Odhran) |
| 1995 | 13 | No. 191 (Odhran) |
| 1994 | 11 | No. 192 (Odhran) |
| 1993 | 4 | No. 302 (Odhran) |
| 1992 | 8 | No. 222 (Odhran) |
| 1991 | 6 | No. 242 (Odhran) |
| 1990 | 3 | No. 323 (Odhran) |
| 1988 | 4 | No. 271 (Odhran) |
| 1987 | 4 | No. 272 (Odhran) |
| 1986 | 3 | No. 317 (Odhran) |
| 1985 | 5 | No. 250 (Odhran) |
| 1984 | 4 | No. 274 (Odhran) |
| 1983 | 4 | No. 282 (Odhran) |
| 1981 | 5 | No. 260 (Odhran) |
| 1980 | 7 | No. 241 (Odhran) |
| 1979 | 6 | No. 257 (Odhran) |
| 1977 | 3 | No. 333 (Odhran) |
| 1976 | 5 | No. 258 (Odhran) |
| 1973 | 5 | No. 268 (Odhran) |
| 1971 | 5 | No. 257 (Odhran) |
Odhran in Ogham
Ogham is the oldest way of writing Irish. It was carved along the edges of standing stones, mostly between the 4th and 6th centuries, and read from the bottom up. In later tradition each letter was named after a tree or plant. Here’s Odhran, letter by letter.
- OOnn, gorse
- DDair, oak
- HUath, hawthorn
- RRuis, elder
- AAilm, pine
- NNion, ash
Write any name in Ogham with our Ogham translator
Names that go with Odhran
Questions about Odhran
- How do you pronounce Odhran?
- Odhran is pronounced O-ran. Two syllables, stress on the first. There's a short video above where you can hear it said.
- What does Odhran mean?
- Odhran means “dark-haired.”
- Is Odhran a girl's name or a boy's name?
- Odhran is a boy's name.
- How do you spell Odhran in Irish?
- In Irish it's spelled Odhrán. That's the spelling most parents in Ireland now register, according to the Central Statistics Office.
- What is Odhran in English?
- The English form of Odhran is Odran.
- How popular is Odhran in Ireland?
- In 2025, Odhrán was No. 93 for boys in Ireland, with 63 babies, according to the Central Statistics Office. It was most popular in 2016, at No. 58.