Total births
73,539
Girls' name · since 1880
Opal
Opal has 73,539 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1918 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #449
- among girls today
- 73,539
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other girls
73,539 babies have been named Opal since 1880, making it today's #449 girls' name.
Social Security Administration records show Opal recorded 73,539 times among girls since 1880, holding rank #449 nationally today, ahead of 97% of girls, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #449 among girls today
- 73,539 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 97% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Opal is currently the #449 girls' name in America, more common than 97% of girls - 73,539 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #449
- among girls today
- 73,539
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other girls
Opal vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#449
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 97% of names given to girls today.
1920s
Peak decade
29% of everyone ever named Opal was born in this single decade.
1918
Single peak year
2,847 babies were named Opal in 1918 - its busiest year on record.
How Opal compares
73,539 Top 3% higher than 97% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Opal's all-time total is 193x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Opal | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 73,539 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 2,847 | 48 | 19,840 |
Opal's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Opal's full recorded timeline at 1953, 13% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 87% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1880, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1918 peak of 2,847 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Opal at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
1918
Current rank
#449
Active since
1880
Opal popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1918)
- 2,847
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Opal popularity over time - boys
718 total births recorded since 1896 (Opal as boys' name)
Opal by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Opal's strongest decade.
21,542 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 29% of all-time use.
Opal births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 294
1880s
294 births
- 1890s 1,666
1890s
1,666 births
- 1900s 6,791
1900s
6,791 births
- 1910s
1910s
20,386 births
- 1920s
1920s
21,542 births
- 1930s 8,529
1930s
8,529 births
- 1940s 3,792
1940s
3,792 births
- 1950s 1,712
1950s
1,712 births
- 1960s 897
1960s
897 births
- 1970s 704
1970s
704 births
- 1980s 527
1980s
527 births
- 1990s 304
1990s
304 births
- 2000s 559
2000s
559 births
- 2010s 2,167
2010s
2,167 births
- 2020s 3,669
2020s
3,669 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 21,542 births (29% of all-time use).
How Opal compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Opal's total volume
Opal vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Opal by state
Where Opal concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 6,595 | 9.0% |
| #2 | Oklahoma | | 5,305 | 7.2% |
| #3 | Kentucky | | 4,970 | 6.8% |
| #4 | Missouri | | 4,255 | 5.8% |
| #5 | Arkansas | | 3,464 | 4.7% |
| #6 | Tennessee | | 3,119 | 4.2% |
| #7 | West Virginia | | 3,091 | 4.2% |
| #8 | Ohio | | 2,650 | 3.6% |
Texas share of Opal's total US births 9.0%
Even split
6,595 of 73,539 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 46 reporting states.
Opal appears in 46 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Opal? ▼
Opal has been given to 73,539 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #449 as of the latest data. 2,847 babies were born in 1918, its single highest year.
When was Opal most popular? ▼
Opal was most popular in the 1920s decade with 21,542 total births. The single peak year was 1918.
Where is Opal most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Opal are Texas (6,595 births), Oklahoma (5,305 births), Kentucky (4,970 births).
How long has the name Opal been used? ▼
Records for Opal go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Opal? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Opaline, Opalene, Opalee. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Opal's data
- Opal's decade-level peak was the 1920s (21,542 total births); usage has since declined to 3,669 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Opals (6,595 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Opal
Nearby Names Like Opal
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Opal
Compare Opal side by side: Opal vs Opaline Opal vs Opalene Opal vs Opalee
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Opal
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Opal: #449 Girls' Name - 73,539 Births, Peak 1918." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/opal. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Opal draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.