Opal
From the gemstone, whose name travelled through Latin opalus from Sanskrit upala, a stone or gem. It joined the Victorian fashion for jewel names.
Opal in 2025
Opal was given to 740 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 863rd most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 4,480 babies born.
The history of Opal
Opal reached its highest point in 1918, when 2,886 babies were given the name, ranking 162nd that year. Its best-ever ranking was 112th, in 1909.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 74,257 babies have been named Opal. Half of them were born before 1922, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Greatest Generation.
Opal by decade
| Decade | Babies named Opal | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 294 | 494 |
| 1890s | 1,678 | 231 |
| 1900s | 6,856 | 112 |
| 1910s | 20,642 | 117 |
| 1920s | 21,797 | 171 |
| 1930s | 8,648 | 288 |
| 1940s | 3,803 | 506 |
| 1950s | 1,712 | 1,031 |
| 1960s | 897 | 1,572 |
| 1970s | 704 | 2,175 |
| 1980s | 527 | 2,780 |
| 1990s | 304 | 5,010 |
| 2000s | 559 | 3,962 |
| 2010s | 2,167 | 1,302 |
| 2020s | 3,669 | 863 |
Where Opal is heading
Opal has risen 218% over the past decade, from 233 babies in 2015 to 740 in 2025.
Names like Opal
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Opal.