Odendaal Coat of Arms Flags

The surname Odendaal is of Dutch origin and means "from Odenthal". Odenthal is a town in western Germany, near Cologne. The earliest recorded Odendaal family members lived in Odenthal in the 17th century.

The Odendaal family is thought to have arrived in South Africa in the late 17th or early 18th centuries. One of the earliest recorded Odendaal family members in South Africa was Hendrik Odendaal, who was born in Odenthal in 1663 and arrived in South Africa in 1685.

The Odendaal family quickly spread throughout South Africa and became one of the most common surnames in the country. Today, there are over 100,000 people with the surname Odendaal living in South Africa.

The Odendaal family has produced many notable people over the years, including:

• André Odendaal, South African historian and former first-class cricketer
• Burger Odendaal, South African rugby union player
• Fox Odendaal, South African politician
• Hein Odendaal, South African medical doctor
• Hendrik Odendaal, South African swimmer
• Steven Odendaal, South African motorcycle racer
• Welma Odendaal, South African writer
• Willie Odendaal, South African rugby union player