The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.) was established in 1819 in Baltimore by Thomas Wildey who was chartered by the British Manchester Unity and separated in 1842 as a social works organization. The I.O.O.F established the Rebekah Degree in 1851 as an honorary award for the wives and daughters of Odd Fellow members who did good works and upheld the purpose and mission of the I.O.O.F. They were called Rebekahs after the biblical Rebekah (Rebecca). The I.O.O.F. and the Rebekas both pledge "to visit the sick, relieve the distressed, bury the dead and educate the orphan."

These early Daughters of Rebekah had no lodge system of their own and operated in an informal and local manner. On September 25, 1868, the I.O.O.F. voted to establish Degree Lodges of the Daughters of Rebekah, mirroring the existing lodges for their male counterparts. The Daughters were given the right to elect their own officers, charge for initiation fees, collect dues and undertake charitable and benevolent activities. The name was changed to "Degree of Rebekah" in 1874 and their creed was also established, "I am a Rebekah. I believe in the Fatherhood of God, the brotherhood of man and the sisterhood of women. I believe in the watch-words of our Order - Friendship, Love, and Truth. Friendship - is like a golden chain that ties our hearts together. Love - is one of our most precious gifts, the more you give, the more you receive. Truth - is the standard by which we value people. It is the foundation of our Society. I believe that my main concern should be my God, my family, and my friends. Then I should reach out to my community and the world. For in God's eyes, we are all brothers and sisters. I am a Rebekah!" Originally, only the female family members of already established Odd Fellows could become a "Daughter of Rebekah" but in 1894 membership opened to all single white women over 18. But by 1923, there were over a million members. Only white women could join 1972.

Today, Odd Fellow and Rebekah lodges in the United States allow female and male members, but while both females and males may hold an Odd Fellow office, only females may hold the highest Rebekah offices. In Europe and Cuba, however, the I.O.O.F. and the Rebekah Lodges are still segregated by sex. Today there are tens of thousands of Rebekas at 1,849 Rebekah Lodges located in the United States, Canada, Cuba, Chile, Hawaii, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Uruguay, Venezuela, and in Europe such as Estonia, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Norway, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.