Map of Ireland showing where the Odel arms are recorded
The Odel arms were recorded in Waterford, c. 1645.
Waterford was a port with good farming country behind it, settled early by Norman families. Merchants and landowners both prospered, and both sorts of family took arms.
This is where the arms were entered in the register. Families often moved to other parts of the country, so the same name can turn up in more than one region.
The body that granted and recorded arms in Ireland in this period.
Charles I of England
Sovereign of the period
Charles I of England
1625–1649
Reigning in Ireland when the Odel arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in Ireland
The Ulster King of Arms granted coats of arms to individuals who proved their social standing and good character. These symbols were typically inherited by all legitimate descendants of the original holder. If a family branch wanted a unique look, they could apply for a specific change to their design through the office to ensure their identity remained distinct.
Granting authority
The Ulster King of Arms acted as the official body that regulated and issued all coats of arms throughout Ireland.
How they got arms
Families obtained their arms through formal grants issued by the office after proving their eligibility and paying the required fees.
Where arms were recorded
All official grants were recorded in the registers held by the Ulster King of Arms starting from the year 1552.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Waterford.
Origin & History of the Odel Family in Ireland
The family name Odel has deep roots in the coastal city of Waterford, Ireland, where records confirm members of the family were established by 1645. During the mid-seventeenth century, Waterford was a bustling port city defined by its strategic importance in trade and its complex political landscape. Families living in the area at this time often navigated the shifting power dynamics of the Irish Confederate Wars and the subsequent arrival of Cromwellian forces. The Odel name likely emerged from these local surroundings, reflecting the blend of cultural influences common in southeastern Ireland during the seventeenth century. As residents of a major maritime hub, early members of the family were part of a community that relied on the sea for commerce and communication with the wider world. Their presence in Waterford during this era suggests they were integrated into the social and economic fabric of one of Ireland’s oldest and most significant urban centers.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Odal
Old Norse term referring to ancestral property or inherited land.
This name
OdelDerived from an ancestral name signifying a person belonging to a hereditary estate.
also spelled
Dell
Delle
Documented Sources
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Pender, Séamus, A Census of Ireland, circa 1659, 1939
National Archives of Ireland, Civil Survey of the County of Waterford, 1654–1656
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trefoilPerpetuity, and the Trinity
crescentHonour by the sovereign, and the second son
trefoilPerpetuity, and the Trinity
crescentHonour by the sovereign, and the second son
