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#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201915peak #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 1915

  • 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: #96 for girls · 20 births · 1 in 391 girlsWAIdaho: #83 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 280 girlsIDMontana: #87 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 333 girlsMTNorth Dakota: #106 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 445 girlsNDMinnesota: #145 for girls · 25 births · 1 in 794 girlsMNIllinois: #101 for girls · 116 births · 1 in 459 girlsILWisconsin: #196 for girls · 16 births · 1 in 1,324 girlsWIMichigan: #171 for girls · 27 births · 1 in 1,030 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: #79 for girls · 17 births · 1 in 275 girlsORNevada: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: #87 for girls · 16 births · 1 in 316 girlsSDIowa: #49 for girls · 98 births · 1 in 194 girlsIAIndiana: #45 for girls · 111 births · 1 in 206 girlsINOhio: #81 for girls · 120 births · 1 in 380 girlsOHPennsylvania: #249 for girls · 29 births · 1 in 3,008 girlsPANew Jersey: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #207 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 1,243 girlsCAUtah: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedUTColorado: #91 for girls · 18 births · 1 in 337 girlsCONebraska: #24 for girls · 93 births · 1 in 113 girlsNEMissouri: #24 for girls · 216 births · 1 in 122 girlsMOKentucky: #34 for girls · 153 births · 1 in 154 girlsKYWest Virginia: #22 for girls · 138 births · 1 in 107 girlsWVVirginia: #157 for girls · 26 births · 1 in 884 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: #88 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 288 girlsNMKansas: #30 for girls · 115 births · 1 in 116 girlsKSArkansas: #10 for girls · 184 births · 1 in 84 girlsARTennessee: #78 for girls · 73 births · 1 in 294 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #180 for girls · 28 births · 1 in 1,035 girlsNCSouth Carolina: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #8 for girls · 288 births · 1 in 58 girlsOKLouisiana: #167 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 765 girlsLAMississippi: #111 for girls · 39 births · 1 in 425 girlsMSAlabama: #97 for girls · 67 births · 1 in 347 girlsALGeorgia: #137 for girls · 50 births · 1 in 580 girlsGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedHITexas: #29 for girls · 287 births · 1 in 150 girlsTXFlorida: #245 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 1,399 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Oklahoma#8 · 1 in 58
  2. Arkansas#10 · 1 in 84
  3. West Virginia#22 · 1 in 107
  4. Nebraska#24 · 1 in 113
  5. Missouri#24 · 1 in 122

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Oklahoma#82881 in 58
Arkansas#101841 in 84
West Virginia#221381 in 107
Missouri#242161 in 122
Nebraska#24931 in 113
Texas#292871 in 150
Kansas#301151 in 116
Kentucky#341531 in 154
Indiana#451111 in 206
Iowa#49981 in 194
Tennessee#78731 in 294
Oregon#79171 in 275
Ohio#811201 in 380
Idaho#83111 in 280
Montana#87131 in 333
South Dakota#87161 in 316
New Mexico#8891 in 288
Colorado#91181 in 337
Washington#96201 in 391
Alabama#97671 in 347
Illinois#1011161 in 459
North Dakota#106151 in 445
Mississippi#111391 in 425
Georgia#137501 in 580
Minnesota#145251 in 794
Virginia#157261 in 884
Louisiana#167221 in 765
Michigan#171271 in 1,030
North Carolina#180281 in 1,035
Wisconsin#196161 in 1,324
California#207151 in 1,243
Florida#24561 in 1,399
Pennsylvania#249291 in 3,008
Alaska———
Arizona———
Connecticut———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Hawaii———
Maine———
Maryland———
Massachusetts———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
New Jersey———
New York———
Rhode Island———
South Carolina———
Utah———
Vermont———
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 1915

girls
#90
2,482 births · 1 in 396 girls
boys
#1,241
28 births · 1 in 30,306 boys

Top girls' names in 1915

  1. #1Mary58,187
  2. #2Helen30,866
  3. #3Dorothy25,154
  4. #4Margaret23,054
  5. #5Ruth21,878
  6. #6Mildred15,254
  7. #7Anna15,119
  8. #8Elizabeth14,103
  9. #9Frances12,786
  10. #10Evelyn11,595
  11. #90Opal2,482

Top boys' names in 1915

  1. #1John47,576
  2. #2William38,563
  3. #3James33,773
  4. #4Robert28,737
  5. #5Joseph23,051
  6. #6George22,307
  7. #7Charles21,960
  8. #8Edward15,889
  9. #9Frank15,006
  10. #10Thomas11,490
  11. #1,241Opal28
More about 1915

girls

983,852 girls got a published name in 1915; 1 in 396 of them was named Opal, which outranked 98.2% of the 4,967 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.2% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Opal
  1. #87Blanche2,590
  2. #88Ellen2,581
  3. #89Mae2,486
  4. #90Opal2,482
  5. #91Mattie2,434
  6. #92Juanita2,398
  7. #93Theresa2,309
Biggest movers since 1914
Risers
  1. ↑ 500Gerda#1,444 → #944
  2. ↑ 451Theda#1,034 → #583
  3. ↑ 441Dominga#1,385 → #944
  4. ↑ 354Vernon#1,344 → #990
  5. ↑ 308Loyce#1,147 → #839
Fallers
  1. ↓ 383Drusilla#956 → #1,339
  2. ↓ 342Rossie#798 → #1,140
  3. ↓ 335Arlie#855 → #1,190
  4. ↓ 329Orene#956 → #1,285
  5. ↓ 329Margot#988 → #1,317

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

boys

848,575 boys got a published name in 1915; 1 in 30,306 of them was named Opal, which outranked 71.7% of the 4,390 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 30.4% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Opal
  1. #1,217Shelley29
  2. #1,217Vinton29
  3. #1,217Willian29
  4. #1,241Opal28
  5. #1,241Carman28
  6. #1,241Colon28
  7. #1,241Del28
  8. #1,265Alcide27
  9. #1,265Algie27
  10. #1,265Alice27

Tied with 23 names at #1,241; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1914
Risers
  1. ↑ 691Eston#1,687 → #996
  2. ↑ 565Estill#1,545 → #980
  3. ↑ 545Garth#1,260 → #715
  4. ↑ 474Hiroshi#1,342 → #868
  5. ↑ 439Domingo#1,101 → #662
Fallers
  1. ↓ 674Gilmore#986 → #1,660
  2. ↓ 667Barnett#933 → #1,600
  3. ↓ 526Rose#884 → #1,410
  4. ↓ 517Toivo#855 → #1,372
  5. ↓ 461Sampson#949 → #1,410

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

See the top 100 for 1915 →