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#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201918peak #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 1918

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedAKMaine: #220 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 1,288 girlsMEVermont: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedNHWashington: #109 for girls · 23 births · 1 in 431 girlsWAIdaho: #50 for girls · 24 births · 1 in 177 girlsIDMontana: #93 for girls · 18 births · 1 in 357 girlsMTNorth Dakota: #99 for girls · 21 births · 1 in 363 girlsNDMinnesota: #132 for girls · 34 births · 1 in 662 girlsMNIllinois: #112 for girls · 125 births · 1 in 496 girlsILWisconsin: #184 for girls · 19 births · 1 in 1,315 girlsWIMichigan: #133 for girls · 53 births · 1 in 691 girlsMINew York: #546 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 12,645 girlsNYMassachusetts: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedMARhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedRIOregon: #94 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 359 girlsORNevada: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: #70 for girls · 26 births · 1 in 248 girlsSDIowa: #56 for girls · 106 births · 1 in 208 girlsIAIndiana: #57 for girls · 107 births · 1 in 243 girlsINOhio: #88 for girls · 133 births · 1 in 410 girlsOHPennsylvania: #284 for girls · 26 births · 1 in 3,829 girlsPANew Jersey: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #148 for girls · 32 births · 1 in 720 girlsCAUtah: #177 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 750 girlsUTColorado: #65 for girls · 35 births · 1 in 235 girlsCONebraska: #55 for girls · 61 births · 1 in 206 girlsNEMissouri: #33 for girls · 207 births · 1 in 148 girlsMOKentucky: #25 for girls · 209 births · 1 in 129 girlsKYWest Virginia: #26 for girls · 144 births · 1 in 122 girlsWVVirginia: #141 for girls · 36 births · 1 in 754 girlsVAMaryland: #237 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 2,291 girlsMDDelaware: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedDEArizona: #140 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 532 girlsAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedNMKansas: #36 for girls · 109 births · 1 in 146 girlsKSArkansas: #17 for girls · 182 births · 1 in 107 girlsARTennessee: #56 for girls · 109 births · 1 in 236 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #149 for girls · 44 births · 1 in 771 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #247 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 1,812 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #7 for girls · 357 births · 1 in 65 girlsOKLouisiana: #149 for girls · 32 births · 1 in 647 girlsLAMississippi: #115 for girls · 41 births · 1 in 470 girlsMSAlabama: #88 for girls · 85 births · 1 in 315 girlsALGeorgia: #127 for girls · 61 births · 1 in 563 girlsGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedHITexas: #29 for girls · 305 births · 1 in 162 girlsTXFlorida: #167 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 751 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Oklahoma#7 · 1 in 65
  2. Arkansas#17 · 1 in 107
  3. Kentucky#25 · 1 in 129
  4. West Virginia#26 · 1 in 122
  5. Texas#29 · 1 in 162

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Oklahoma#73571 in 65
Arkansas#171821 in 107
Kentucky#252091 in 129
West Virginia#261441 in 122
Texas#293051 in 162
Missouri#332071 in 148
Kansas#361091 in 146
Idaho#50241 in 177
Nebraska#55611 in 206
Iowa#561061 in 208
Tennessee#561091 in 236
Indiana#571071 in 243
Colorado#65351 in 235
South Dakota#70261 in 248
Alabama#88851 in 315
Ohio#881331 in 410
Montana#93181 in 357
Oregon#94151 in 359
North Dakota#99211 in 363
Washington#109231 in 431
Illinois#1121251 in 496
Mississippi#115411 in 470
Georgia#127611 in 563
Minnesota#132341 in 662
Michigan#133531 in 691
Arizona#14061 in 532
Virginia#141361 in 754
California#148321 in 720
Louisiana#149321 in 647
North Carolina#149441 in 771
Florida#167131 in 751
Utah#17771 in 750
Wisconsin#184191 in 1,315
Maine#22051 in 1,288
Maryland#23761 in 2,291
South Carolina#247121 in 1,812
Pennsylvania#284261 in 3,829
New York#54681 in 12,645
Alaska———
Connecticut———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Hawaii———
Massachusetts———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
New Jersey———
New Mexico———
Rhode Island———
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 1918

girls
#94
2,847 births · 1 in 407 girls
boys
#1,094
39 births · 1 in 25,987 boys

Top girls' names in 1918

  1. #1Mary67,365
  2. #2Helen36,148
  3. #3Dorothy32,030
  4. #4Margaret27,139
  5. #5Ruth25,535
  6. #6Mildred17,258
  7. #7Virginia16,421
  8. #8Frances16,132
  9. #9Elizabeth15,853
  10. #10Anna15,666
  11. #94Opal2,847

Top boys' names in 1918

  1. #1John56,558
  2. #2William45,291
  3. #3James42,115
  4. #4Robert40,619
  5. #5Charles26,921
  6. #6George26,318
  7. #7Joseph26,261
  8. #8Edward19,489
  9. #9Frank17,018
  10. #10Thomas13,910
  11. #1,094Opal39
More about 1918

girls

1,157,631 girls got a published name in 1918; 1 in 407 of them was named Opal, which outranked 98.3% of the 5,585 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.3% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Opal
  1. #91Jennie3,033
  2. #92Ellen3,030
  3. #93Lena2,937
  4. #94Opal2,847
  5. #95Mae2,756
  6. #96Blanche2,739
  7. #97Shirley2,654
Biggest movers since 1917
Risers
  1. ↑ 547Jesse#1,507 → #960
  2. ↑ 494Liberty#1,079 → #585
  3. ↑ 389Marilynn#1,337 → #948
  4. ↑ 312Margueritte#1,281 → #969
  5. ↑ 306Syble#807 → #501
Fallers
  1. ↓ 447Valentine#964 → #1,411
  2. ↓ 428Ottie#952 → #1,380
  3. ↓ 354Delora#923 → #1,277
  4. ↓ 318Georgene#896 → #1,214
  5. ↓ 299Clifford#904 → #1,203

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

boys

1,013,480 boys got a published name in 1918; 1 in 25,987 of them was named Opal, which outranked 77.3% of the 4,813 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 31.0% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Opal
  1. #1,079Sim40
  2. #1,079Terrence40
  3. #1,079Wayman40
  4. #1,094Opal39
  5. #1,094Annie39
  6. #1,094Attilio39
  7. #1,094Bernardo39
  8. #1,112Bishop38
  9. #1,112Delma38
  10. #1,112Ephraim38

Tied with 17 names at #1,094; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1917
Risers
  1. ↑ 600Quinton#1,092 → #492
  2. ↑ 542Pershing#876 → #334
  3. ↑ 480Quentin#723 → #243
  4. ↑ 440Issac#1,264 → #824
  5. ↑ 339Furman#1,092 → #753
Fallers
  1. ↓ 473Bernhard#900 → #1,373
  2. ↓ 424Edson#919 → #1,343
  3. ↓ 394Gasper#919 → #1,313
  4. ↓ 352Berton#934 → #1,286
  5. ↓ 346Ishmael#997 → #1,343

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

See the top 100 for 1918 →