Show ContentsOdey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Odey was brought to England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. It comes from the popular Norman given name Odo.

Early Origins of the Odey family

The surname Odey was first found in Yorkshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the manor of Storkhouse, Gisburn, and Withernsea in that shire. They are conjecturally believed to be descended from Count Odo who was also ancestor of the Counts of Aumale and the Lords of Holderness.

Early History of the Odey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Odey research. Another 67 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Odey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Odey Spelling Variations

A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Oddie, Oddey, Odey, Oddy, Hoddy, Hoddie, Odo and many more.

Early Notables of the Odey family

More information is included under the topic Early Odey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Odey family

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Odey or a variant listed above: Francis Oddy who settled in Annapolis Maryland in 1726; M. Oddy, who settled in New York State in 1823; George Oddy, who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1856.


Contemporary Notables of the name Odey (post 1700) +

  • Arthur Odey, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for New Hampshire State House of Representatives from Concord 4th Ward, 1938 1
  • John Ogar Odey (b. 1959), appointed Nigerian minister of information and communications in July 2007
  • Crispin Odey, one of London's leading hedge fund managers
  • George William Odey CBE (1900-1985), Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom


  1. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 3) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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