Opal
Girl name · #423 in 2025 · Distinctive
How old is the name Opal? In official American birth records, Opal has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Opal is currently the #423 girl name in the United States — 740 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #1110, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 2,432 girls born in 2025 was named Opal.
The 145-year story
Opal first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1918, when 2,847 girls were named Opal — good for #94 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Opal per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Opal against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Opal in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Opal is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Opal is most common
Geography matters for names, and Opal is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Opal is most common in MT (3.5 per 1,000), ID (2.1 per 1,000), OR (2.1 per 1,000), AR (1.8 per 1,000), NE (1.6 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.6 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Opal is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Opal
Statistically, parents drawn to Opal tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Cleo, Mabel, Leona, Mae, and Hattie.
CleoMabelLeonaMaeHattieLottieFloraNellie
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Opal | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 740 | #423 |
| 2024 | 696 | #449 |
| 2023 | 631 | #485 |
| 2022 | 595 | #524 |
| 2021 | 562 | #545 |
| 2020 | 445 | #648 |
| 2019 | 427 | #680 |
| 2018 | 337 | #807 |
| 2017 | 321 | #847 |
| 2016 | 261 | #1012 |
| 2015 | 233 | #1110 |
| 2014 | 183 | #1301 |
| 2013 | 125 | #1684 |
| 2012 | 105 | #1904 |
| 2011 | 93 | #2073 |
| 2010 | 82 | #2313 |
| 2009 | 77 | #2465 |
| 2008 | 87 | #2253 |
| 2007 | 69 | #2647 |
| 2006 | 79 | #2375 |
| 2005 | 42 | #3509 |
| 2004 | 60 | #2711 |
| 2003 | 39 | #3590 |
| 2002 | 38 | #3523 |
| 2001 | 36 | #3631 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Opal?
In official American birth records, the name Opal first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 5 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Opal a popular girl name?
Opal ranked #423 among girls in 2025 with 740 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #1110.
When was the name Opal most popular?
Opal peaked in 1918, when 2,847 American girls received the name (ranked #94 that year). Since 1918 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Opal?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 2,432 newborn American girls was named Opal. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.