Ophelia
Girl name · #264 in 2025 · Uniqueness 35/100
Ophelia ranks #264 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 1,183 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #978, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 1,522 girls born in 2025 was named Ophelia.
The 145-year story
Ophelia first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 44 girls received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2024, with 1,223 babies and a rank of #259. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. 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 Ophelia per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Ophelia against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Ophelia in class?
Ophelia scores 35 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Ophelia is most common
Geography matters for names, and Ophelia is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Ophelias were TX (108), CA (80), FL (60), OH (50), WA (45). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Ophelia
Statistically, parents drawn to Ophelia tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Aurelia, Dahlia, Magnolia, Alessia, and Octavia.
AureliaDahliaMagnoliaAlessiaOctaviaRosaliaAmaliaLia
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Ophelia | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,183 | #264 |
| 2024 | 1,223 | #259 |
| 2023 | 1,177 | #265 |
| 2022 | 1,169 | #271 |
| 2021 | 1,014 | #321 |
| 2020 | 794 | #391 |
| 2019 | 813 | #385 |
| 2018 | 839 | #373 |
| 2017 | 765 | #417 |
| 2016 | 533 | #582 |
| 2015 | 276 | #978 |
| 2014 | 226 | #1121 |
| 2013 | 185 | #1277 |
| 2012 | 139 | #1566 |
| 2011 | 109 | #1840 |
| 2010 | 96 | #2059 |
| 2009 | 76 | #2485 |
| 2008 | 101 | #2042 |
| 2007 | 66 | #2750 |
| 2006 | 47 | #3414 |
| 2005 | 43 | #3461 |
| 2004 | 33 | #4172 |
| 2003 | 37 | #3731 |
| 2002 | 32 | #3978 |
| 2001 | 18 | #6067 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Ophelia a popular girl name?
Ophelia ranked #264 among girls in 2025 with 1,183 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #978.
When was the name Ophelia most popular?
Ophelia peaked in 2024, when 1,223 American girls received the name (ranked #259 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Ophelia?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 1,522 newborn American girls was named Ophelia. It scores 35/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.