The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Lodges: In the 19th century the United States was an emerging nation and its diverse population and the need to belong to a group crossed social-economic lines-hence, the emergence of secret societies and lodges.
ODD FELLOWSHIP: Several different reasons are given for the strange name for this group.
One old and apparently authoritative history of the Odd Fellowship organization gives this explanation, "That common laboring men should associate themselves together and form a fraternity for social unity and fellowship and for mutual help was such a marked violation of the trends of the times (England in the 1700's) that they became known as peculiar or odd and hence they were derided as "Odd Fellows.' Because of the appropriateness of the name, those engaged in forming these unions accepted it.
When legally incorporated the title "Odd Fellows' was adopted."
Modern references state that the true reason for the name Odd Fellows isn't known or documented. Whatever the reason may have been, the unusual name has been the object of public curiosity (and on occasion derision or mirth) for well over 200 years.
Source: www.ioof.com