 According to Dolch's and Greule's research, the name is made up of the syllable "—bach" (German for “brook”), as with many other places in the region, to which is prefixed what was originally a personal name, either “Odo” or “Otto”, possibly the village's founder.In Prüm Abbey’s 893 directory of holdings, the "Prümer Urbar", a church in Odenbach was mentioned for the first time, one consecrated to Saint Peter.It is one of the oldest in the whole Glan valley.