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#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201960peak #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 1960

  • 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: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedIDMontana: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedNDMinnesota: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedMNIllinois: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedILWisconsin: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedWIMichigan: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedMINew 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: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedORNevada: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedSDIowa: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedIAIndiana: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedINOhio: #636 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 9,562 girlsOHPennsylvania: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedPANew Jersey: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #1,400 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 28,774 girlsCAUtah: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedUTColorado: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedCONebraska: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedNEMissouri: #440 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 4,476 girlsMOKentucky: #353 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 3,201 girlsKYWest Virginia: #386 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 3,479 girlsWVVirginia: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedVAMaryland: 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: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedNMKansas: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedKSArkansas: #305 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 1,977 girlsARTennessee: #533 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 6,068 girlsTNNorth Carolina: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedNCSouth Carolina: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedDCOklahoma: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedOKLouisiana: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedLAMississippi: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedMSAlabama: #622 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 6,941 girlsALGeorgia: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedHITexas: #582 for girls · 21 births · 1 in 5,400 girlsTXFlorida: fewer than 5 girls named Opal, so not publishedFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Arkansas#305 · 1 in 1,977
  2. Kentucky#353 · 1 in 3,201
  3. West Virginia#386 · 1 in 3,479
  4. Missouri#440 · 1 in 4,476
  5. Tennessee#533 · 1 in 6,068

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Arkansas#30591 in 1,977
Kentucky#353101 in 3,201
West Virginia#38651 in 3,479
Missouri#440101 in 4,476
Tennessee#53361 in 6,068
Texas#582211 in 5,400
Alabama#62251 in 6,941
Ohio#636111 in 9,562
California#1,40061 in 28,774
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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 1960

girls
#920
133 births · 1 in 15,203 girls

Top girls' names in 1960

  1. #1Mary51,472
  2. #2Susan39,208
  3. #3Linda37,316
  4. #4Karen36,378
  5. #5Donna34,138
  6. #6Lisa33,693
  7. #7Patricia32,113
  8. #8Debra26,732
  9. #9Cynthia26,706
  10. #10Deborah25,266
  11. #920Opal133
More about 1960

girls

2,021,941 girls got a published name in 1960; 1 in 15,203 of them was named Opal, which outranked 87.5% of the 7,332 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 17.0% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Opal
  1. #915Mabel134
  2. #915Mavis134
  3. #915Ursula134
  4. #920Opal133
  5. #920Hannah133
  6. #920Jeanna133
  7. #920Mark133
  8. #926Babette132
  9. #926Charles132
  10. #926Dara132

Tied with 5 names at #920; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1959
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,798Lisha#2,395 → #597
  2. ↑ 1,223Elana#2,108 → #885
  3. ↑ 667Leisha#1,537 → #870
  4. ↑ 513Misty#1,214 → #701
  5. ↑ 462Loriann#1,396 → #934
Fallers
  1. ↓ 421Taryn#771 → #1,192
  2. ↓ 335Cheryll#993 → #1,328
  3. ↓ 305Marilynn#724 → #1,029
  4. ↓ 304Drema#997 → #1,301
  5. ↓ 258Merrie#978 → #1,236

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

See the top 100 for 1960 →