Opal

#423 for girls in 2025, 740 births · Last seen for boys in 1944 at #3,430
Given to girls 99.0% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · girls
1911 · 1,190 births
Debut · girls
5 births
In top 100 · girls
16 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · girls
73,539
since 1880

Opal over time

girls

Rank among girls' names. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201911peak #81, 1911girls
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#423740—
2024#449696—
2023#485631—
2022#524595—
2021#545562—
2020#648445—
2019#680427—
2018#807337—
2017#847321—
2016#1,012261—
2015#1,110233—
2014#1,301183—
2013#1,684125—
2012#1,904105—
2011#2,07393—
2010#2,31382—
2009#2,46577—
2008#2,25387—
2007#2,64769—
2006#2,37579—
2005#3,50942—
2004#2,71160—
2003#3,59039—
2002#3,52338—
2001#3,63136—
2000#3,88632—
1999#4,57624—
1998#3,17339—
1997#3,30235—
1996#3,94227—
1995#4,84620—
1994#3,70429—
1993#3,29034—
1992#3,68029—
1991#3,44331—
1990#3,07836—
1989#2,93137—
1988#2,27449—
1987#2,06553—
1986#1,98055—
1985#2,13749—
1984#2,05049—
1983#1,96152—
1982#1,90056—
1981#1,76763—
1980#1,73564—
1979#1,50378—
1978#1,55870—
1977#1,63764—
1976#1,31682—
1975#1,54465—
1974#1,39973—
1973#1,49663—
1972#1,48864—
1971#1,33680—
1970#1,51865—
1969#1,35571—
1968#1,27974—
1967#1,23974—
1966#1,27372—
1965#1,13587—
1964#1,17288—
1963#1,10497—
1962#1,09099—
1961#1,083102—
1960#920133—
1959#971118—
1958#973113—
1957#812155—
1956#806152—
1955#687186—
1954#708170—
1953#643193—
1952#620201—
1951#580217—
1950#584207—
1949#487271—
1948#507260—
1947#431356—
1946#424330—
1945#383337—
1944#343400#3,4305
1943#341436—
1942#327447#3,2126
1941#315434—
1940#273521—
1939#262557#2,6098
1938#263579#2,08412
1937#254620#2,33210
1936#231706#1,96413
1935#219777#2,39610
1934#199892#1,93214
1933#182931#3,6425
1932#1791,052#1,77717
1931#1711,088#1,77017
1930#1561,327#2,17813
1929#1501,452#1,79318
1928#1461,591#1,41327
1927#1411,738#1,69221
1926#1292,027#1,56523
1925#1292,108#1,58323
1924#1202,284#1,53225
1923#1132,365#1,46026
1922#1082,562#1,30831
1921#1032,713#1,36030
1920#1012,702#1,30031
1919#982,652#1,44925
1918#942,847#1,09439
1917#952,541#1,22231
1916#912,636#1,07236
1915#902,482#1,24128
1914#891,893#1,15325
1913#861,629#1,07522
1912#851,465#1,02320
1911#811,190#85615
1910#871,051#78215
1909#821,028#1,0838
1908#84955#87710
1907#86889#81511
1906#95718#8529
1905#99702—
1904#100621#1,0646
1903#106542#1,0096
1902#117498#8628
1901#125406#8587
1900#140432—
1899#161278—
1898#177262—
1897#182230#1,0575
1896#204186#9007
1895#216158—
1894#209164—
1893#236123—
1892#255107—
1891#28278—
1890#28080—
1889#29467—
1888#33352—
1887#33740—
1886#40628—
1885#36531—
1884#37728—
1883#48016—
1882#50713—
1881#44714—
1880#8365—
First appearance
1880

In the first year the SSA published name data, Opal was already there! It came in at #836, and was given to 5 baby girls.


Quietest stretch: 1880, when fewer than 6 girls a year got the name.

Where Opal is popular in 1911

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedNHWashington: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedWAIdaho: #71 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 182 girlsIDMontana: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedNDMinnesota: #144 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 715 girlsMNIllinois: #102 for girls · 42 births · 1 in 462 girlsILWisconsin: #161 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 886 girlsWIMichigan: #165 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 855 girlsMINew York: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedNYMassachusetts: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedMARhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedRIOregon: #30 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 105 girlsORNevada: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: #48 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 145 girlsSDIowa: #45 for girls · 44 births · 1 in 140 girlsIAIndiana: #37 for girls · 50 births · 1 in 158 girlsINOhio: #65 for girls · 61 births · 1 in 275 girlsOHPennsylvania: #276 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 3,451 girlsPANew Jersey: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #155 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 734 girlsCAUtah: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedUTColorado: #63 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 213 girlsCONebraska: #39 for girls · 29 births · 1 in 129 girlsNEMissouri: #10 for girls · 159 births · 1 in 72 girlsMOKentucky: #38 for girls · 73 births · 1 in 150 girlsKYWest Virginia: #17 for girls · 73 births · 1 in 85 girlsWVVirginia: #141 for girls · 17 births · 1 in 630 girlsVAMaryland: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedMDDelaware: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedDEArizona: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedAZNew Mexico: #49 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 146 girlsNMKansas: #21 for girls · 56 births · 1 in 96 girlsKSArkansas: #12 for girls · 78 births · 1 in 92 girlsARTennessee: #79 for girls · 38 births · 1 in 263 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #146 for girls · 18 births · 1 in 712 girlsNCSouth Carolina: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #7 for girls · 122 births · 1 in 65 girlsOKLouisiana: #262 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 1,501 girlsLAMississippi: #146 for girls · 16 births · 1 in 574 girlsMSAlabama: #135 for girls · 20 births · 1 in 599 girlsALGeorgia: #182 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 1,001 girlsGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedHITexas: #20 for girls · 155 births · 1 in 126 girlsTXFlorida: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Oklahoma#7 · 1 in 65
  2. Missouri#10 · 1 in 72
  3. Arkansas#12 · 1 in 92
  4. West Virginia#17 · 1 in 85
  5. Texas#20 · 1 in 126

Best ever in a state: #7 in Oklahoma, 1910.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Oklahoma#71221 in 65
Missouri#101591 in 72
Arkansas#12781 in 92
West Virginia#17731 in 85
Texas#201551 in 126
Kansas#21561 in 96
Oregon#30151 in 105
Indiana#37501 in 158
Kentucky#38731 in 150
Nebraska#39291 in 129
Iowa#45441 in 140
South Dakota#48131 in 145
New Mexico#4971 in 146
Colorado#63111 in 213
Ohio#65611 in 275
Idaho#7151 in 182
Tennessee#79381 in 263
Illinois#102421 in 462
Alabama#135201 in 599
Virginia#141171 in 630
Minnesota#14491 in 715
Mississippi#146161 in 574
North Carolina#146181 in 712
California#15591 in 734
Wisconsin#16181 in 886
Michigan#165111 in 855
Georgia#182151 in 1,001
Louisiana#26261 in 1,501
Pennsylvania#276101 in 3,451
Alaska———
Arizona———
Connecticut———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Florida———
Hawaii———
Maine———
Maryland———
Massachusetts———
Montana———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
New Jersey———
New York———
North Dakota———
Rhode Island———
South Carolina———
Utah———
Vermont———
Washington———
Wyoming———

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the girls born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Opal
Momentum · girls
Rising
  • 26 spots since 2024 (#449 → #423)
  • 225 spots since 2020 (#648 → #423)
  • 687 spots since 2015 (#1,110 → #423)
  • Biggest jump: 389 spots in 1881 (#836 → #447)
  • Biggest drop: 163 spots in 1961 (#920 → #1,083)
Rise & fade · girls
31 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 1911 at #81 (1,190 births)
  • Births halved by 1938, 27 yrs later
Top of the charts · girls
Top 100 for 16 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: 16 yrs · run 1904–1919
  • Top 1,000: 90 yrs · run 1880–1960
Share of babies · girls
1 in 338
  • Highest: 1 in 338 girls born in 1909 were named Opal (0.30%)
  • Latest: 1 in 2,172 girls born in 2025 (0.05%)
  • Its best rank, #81 in 1911, was only 1 in 352 (0.28%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
Era · girls
The 1920s
  • 29.3% of all girls named Opal (21,542) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s294#294 (1889)#438
1890s1,666#161 (1899)#220
1900s6,791#82 (1909)#103
1910s20,386#81 (1911)#90
1920s21,542#101 (1920)#124
1930s8,529#156 (1930)#212
1940s3,792#273 (1940)#383
1950s1,712#580 (1951)#738
1960s897#920 (1960)#1,165
1970s704#1,316 (1976)#1,480
1980s527#1,735 (1980)#2,080
1990s304#3,078 (1990)#3,703
2000s559#2,253 (2008)#3,059
2010s2,167#680 (2019)#1,373
2020s3,669#423 (2025)#512

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 girls in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Opal in 1911

girls
#81
1,190 births · 1 in 352 girls
boys
#856
15 births · 1 in 15,065 boys

Top girls' names in 1911

  1. #1Mary24,390
  2. #2Helen11,801
  3. #3Margaret9,279
  4. #4Dorothy8,869
  5. #5Ruth8,003
  6. #6Anna6,753
  7. #7Elizabeth6,298
  8. #8Mildred6,271
  9. #9Marie5,017
  10. #10Frances4,967
  11. #81Opal1,190

Top boys' names in 1911

  1. #1John13,446
  2. #2William10,593
  3. #3James9,952
  4. #4George6,586
  5. #5Robert6,526
  6. #6Joseph6,488
  7. #7Charles5,725
  8. #8Frank4,314
  9. #9Edward4,164
  10. #10Thomas3,292
  11. #856Opal15
More about 1911

girls

418,309 girls got a published name in 1911; 1 in 352 of them was named Opal, which outranked 97.2% of the 2,868 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 21.9% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Opal
  1. #78Carrie1,281
  2. #79Beulah1,244
  3. #80Vivian1,211
  4. #81Opal1,190
  5. #82Sylvia1,184
  6. #83Violet1,183
  7. #84Ellen1,162
Biggest movers since 1910
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,003Laurette#1,935 → #932
  2. ↑ 683Glenda#1,521 → #838
  3. ↑ 680Ana#1,421 → #741
  4. ↑ 623Vilma#1,521 → #898
  5. ↑ 523Emmaline#1,421 → #898
Fallers
  1. ↓ 1,194Alys#997 → #2,191
  2. ↓ 959Leana#997 → #1,956
  3. ↓ 686Coletta#859 → #1,545
  4. ↓ 686Blossom#970 → #1,656
  5. ↓ 659Otis#997 → #1,656

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

225,970 boys got a published name in 1911; 1 in 15,065 of them was named Opal, which outranked 57.2% of the 1,999 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 31.5% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Opal
  1. #824Rowland16
  2. #824Santiago16
  3. #824Wyatt16
  4. #856Opal15
  5. #856Abner15
  6. #856Alec15
  7. #856Alfonse15
  8. #896Aldo14
  9. #896Alma14
  10. #896Alonza14

Tied with 39 names at #856; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1910
Risers
  1. ↑ 900Vincenzo#1,589 → #689
  2. ↑ 900Wyman#1,589 → #689
  3. ↑ 882Rodger#1,589 → #707
  4. ↑ 796Cedric#1,589 → #793
  5. ↑ 796Hughie#1,589 → #793
Fallers
  1. ↓ 881Bertha#859 → #1,740
  2. ↓ 881Arlo#859 → #1,740
  3. ↓ 831Shelton#556 → #1,387
  4. ↓ 812Guss#928 → #1,740
  5. ↓ 812Halley#928 → #1,740

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1911 →