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
- Peak · girls
- 1911 · 1,190 births
- Debut · girls
- 5 births
- In top 100 · girls
- 16 yrsof 146 years
- Total births · girls
- 73,539since 1880
Opal over time
girls
Rank among girls' names. Click any year to open it.
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
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | #423 | 740 | — | |
| 2024 | #449 | 696 | — | |
| 2023 | #485 | 631 | — | |
| 2022 | #524 | 595 | — | |
| 2021 | #545 | 562 | — | |
| 2020 | #648 | 445 | — | |
| 2019 | #680 | 427 | — | |
| 2018 | #807 | 337 | — | |
| 2017 | #847 | 321 | — | |
| 2016 | #1,012 | 261 | — | |
| 2015 | #1,110 | 233 | — | |
| 2014 | #1,301 | 183 | — | |
| 2013 | #1,684 | 125 | — | |
| 2012 | #1,904 | 105 | — | |
| 2011 | #2,073 | 93 | — | |
| 2010 | #2,313 | 82 | — | |
| 2009 | #2,465 | 77 | — | |
| 2008 | #2,253 | 87 | — | |
| 2007 | #2,647 | 69 | — | |
| 2006 | #2,375 | 79 | — | |
| 2005 | #3,509 | 42 | — | |
| 2004 | #2,711 | 60 | — | |
| 2003 | #3,590 | 39 | — | |
| 2002 | #3,523 | 38 | — | |
| 2001 | #3,631 | 36 | — | |
| 2000 | #3,886 | 32 | — | |
| 1999 | #4,576 | 24 | — | |
| 1998 | #3,173 | 39 | — | |
| 1997 | #3,302 | 35 | — | |
| 1996 | #3,942 | 27 | — | |
| 1995 | #4,846 | 20 | — | |
| 1994 | #3,704 | 29 | — | |
| 1993 | #3,290 | 34 | — | |
| 1992 | #3,680 | 29 | — | |
| 1991 | #3,443 | 31 | — | |
| 1990 | #3,078 | 36 | — | |
| 1989 | #2,931 | 37 | — | |
| 1988 | #2,274 | 49 | — | |
| 1987 | #2,065 | 53 | — | |
| 1986 | #1,980 | 55 | — | |
| 1985 | #2,137 | 49 | — | |
| 1984 | #2,050 | 49 | — | |
| 1983 | #1,961 | 52 | — | |
| 1982 | #1,900 | 56 | — | |
| 1981 | #1,767 | 63 | — | |
| 1980 | #1,735 | 64 | — | |
| 1979 | #1,503 | 78 | — | |
| 1978 | #1,558 | 70 | — | |
| 1977 | #1,637 | 64 | — | |
| 1976 | #1,316 | 82 | — | |
| 1975 | #1,544 | 65 | — | |
| 1974 | #1,399 | 73 | — | |
| 1973 | #1,496 | 63 | — | |
| 1972 | #1,488 | 64 | — | |
| 1971 | #1,336 | 80 | — | |
| 1970 | #1,518 | 65 | — | |
| 1969 | #1,355 | 71 | — | |
| 1968 | #1,279 | 74 | — | |
| 1967 | #1,239 | 74 | — | |
| 1966 | #1,273 | 72 | — | |
| 1965 | #1,135 | 87 | — | |
| 1964 | #1,172 | 88 | — | |
| 1963 | #1,104 | 97 | — | |
| 1962 | #1,090 | 99 | — | |
| 1961 | #1,083 | 102 | — | |
| 1960 | #920 | 133 | — | |
| 1959 | #971 | 118 | — | |
| 1958 | #973 | 113 | — | |
| 1957 | #812 | 155 | — | |
| 1956 | #806 | 152 | — | |
| 1955 | #687 | 186 | — | |
| 1954 | #708 | 170 | — | |
| 1953 | #643 | 193 | — | |
| 1952 | #620 | 201 | — | |
| 1951 | #580 | 217 | — | |
| 1950 | #584 | 207 | — | |
| 1949 | #487 | 271 | — | |
| 1948 | #507 | 260 | — | |
| 1947 | #431 | 356 | — | |
| 1946 | #424 | 330 | — | |
| 1945 | #383 | 337 | — | |
| 1944 | #343 | 400 | #3,430 | 5 |
| 1943 | #341 | 436 | — | |
| 1942 | #327 | 447 | #3,212 | 6 |
| 1941 | #315 | 434 | — | |
| 1940 | #273 | 521 | — | |
| 1939 | #262 | 557 | #2,609 | 8 |
| 1938 | #263 | 579 | #2,084 | 12 |
| 1937 | #254 | 620 | #2,332 | 10 |
| 1936 | #231 | 706 | #1,964 | 13 |
| 1935 | #219 | 777 | #2,396 | 10 |
| 1934 | #199 | 892 | #1,932 | 14 |
| 1933 | #182 | 931 | #3,642 | 5 |
| 1932 | #179 | 1,052 | #1,777 | 17 |
| 1931 | #171 | 1,088 | #1,770 | 17 |
| 1930 | #156 | 1,327 | #2,178 | 13 |
| 1929 | #150 | 1,452 | #1,793 | 18 |
| 1928 | #146 | 1,591 | #1,413 | 27 |
| 1927 | #141 | 1,738 | #1,692 | 21 |
| 1926 | #129 | 2,027 | #1,565 | 23 |
| 1925 | #129 | 2,108 | #1,583 | 23 |
| 1924 | #120 | 2,284 | #1,532 | 25 |
| 1923 | #113 | 2,365 | #1,460 | 26 |
| 1922 | #108 | 2,562 | #1,308 | 31 |
| 1921 | #103 | 2,713 | #1,360 | 30 |
| 1920 | #101 | 2,702 | #1,300 | 31 |
| 1919 | #98 | 2,652 | #1,449 | 25 |
| 1918 | #94 | 2,847 | #1,094 | 39 |
| 1917 | #95 | 2,541 | #1,222 | 31 |
| 1916 | #91 | 2,636 | #1,072 | 36 |
| 1915 | #90 | 2,482 | #1,241 | 28 |
| 1914 | #89 | 1,893 | #1,153 | 25 |
| 1913 | #86 | 1,629 | #1,075 | 22 |
| 1912 | #85 | 1,465 | #1,023 | 20 |
| 1911 | #81 | 1,190 | #856 | 15 |
| 1910 | #87 | 1,051 | #782 | 15 |
| 1909 | #82 | 1,028 | #1,083 | 8 |
| 1908 | #84 | 955 | #877 | 10 |
| 1907 | #86 | 889 | #815 | 11 |
| 1906 | #95 | 718 | #852 | 9 |
| 1905 | #99 | 702 | — | |
| 1904 | #100 | 621 | #1,064 | 6 |
| 1903 | #106 | 542 | #1,009 | 6 |
| 1902 | #117 | 498 | #862 | 8 |
| 1901 | #125 | 406 | #858 | 7 |
| 1900 | #140 | 432 | — | |
| 1899 | #161 | 278 | — | |
| 1898 | #177 | 262 | — | |
| 1897 | #182 | 230 | #1,057 | 5 |
| 1896 | #204 | 186 | #900 | 7 |
| 1895 | #216 | 158 | — | |
| 1894 | #209 | 164 | — | |
| 1893 | #236 | 123 | — | |
| 1892 | #255 | 107 | — | |
| 1891 | #282 | 78 | — | |
| 1890 | #280 | 80 | — | |
| 1889 | #294 | 67 | — | |
| 1888 | #333 | 52 | — | |
| 1887 | #337 | 40 | — | |
| 1886 | #406 | 28 | — | |
| 1885 | #365 | 31 | — | |
| 1884 | #377 | 28 | — | |
| 1883 | #480 | 16 | — | |
| 1882 | #507 | 13 | — | |
| 1881 | #447 | 14 | — | |
| 1880 | #836 | 5 | — | |
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 1956
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
Top states · girls
- Kentucky#264 · 1 in 2,097
- Arkansas#303 · 1 in 2,098
- West Virginia#337 · 1 in 2,844
- Louisiana#419 · 1 in 3,580
- Indiana#464 · 1 in 5,610
Best ever in a state: #7 in Oklahoma, 1910.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | #264 | 16 | 1 in 2,097 |
| Arkansas | #303 | 9 | 1 in 2,098 |
| West Virginia | #337 | 7 | 1 in 2,844 |
| Louisiana | #419 | 11 | 1 in 3,580 |
| Indiana | #464 | 9 | 1 in 5,610 |
| Oklahoma | #465 | 5 | 1 in 4,459 |
| Tennessee | #469 | 7 | 1 in 5,485 |
| Mississippi | #509 | 5 | 1 in 5,359 |
| Missouri | #558 | 6 | 1 in 7,464 |
| Alabama | #581 | 5 | 1 in 7,331 |
| Texas | #630 | 17 | 1 in 6,754 |
| Florida | #642 | 5 | 1 in 8,599 |
| Ohio | #824 | 6 | 1 in 17,895 |
| California | #1,225 | 6 | 1 in 26,070 |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Arizona | — | — | — |
| Colorado | — | — | — |
| Connecticut | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — |
| Georgia | — | — | — |
| Hawaii | — | — | — |
| Idaho | — | — | — |
| Illinois | — | — | — |
| Iowa | — | — | — |
| Kansas | — | — | — |
| Maine | — | — | — |
| Maryland | — | — | — |
| Massachusetts | — | — | — |
| Michigan | — | — | — |
| Minnesota | — | — | — |
| Montana | — | — | — |
| Nebraska | — | — | — |
| Nevada | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | — | — | — |
| New Jersey | — | — | — |
| New Mexico | — | — | — |
| New York | — | — | — |
| North Carolina | — | — | — |
| North Dakota | — | — | — |
| Oregon | — | — | — |
| Pennsylvania | — | — | — |
| Rhode Island | — | — | — |
| South Carolina | — | — | — |
| South Dakota | — | — | — |
| Utah | — | — | — |
| Vermont | — | — | — |
| Virginia | — | — | — |
| Washington | — | — | — |
| Wisconsin | — | — | — |
| 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
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 294 | #294 (1889) | #438 |
| 1890s | 1,666 | #161 (1899) | #220 |
| 1900s | 6,791 | #82 (1909) | #103 |
| 1910s | 20,386 | #81 (1911) | #90 |
| 1920s | 21,542 | #101 (1920) | #124 |
| 1930s | 8,529 | #156 (1930) | #212 |
| 1940s | 3,792 | #273 (1940) | #383 |
| 1950s | 1,712 | #580 (1951) | #738 |
| 1960s | 897 | #920 (1960) | #1,165 |
| 1970s | 704 | #1,316 (1976) | #1,480 |
| 1980s | 527 | #1,735 (1980) | #2,080 |
| 1990s | 304 | #3,078 (1990) | #3,703 |
| 2000s | 559 | #2,253 (2008) | #3,059 |
| 2010s | 2,167 | #680 (2019) | #1,373 |
| 2020s | 3,669 | #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 1956
girls
#806
152 births · 1 in 13,209 girls
Top girls' names in 1956
More about 1956
girls
2,007,703 girls got a published name in 1956; 1 in 13,209 of them was named Opal, which outranked 88.3% of the 6,891 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 21.4% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).