Opal
First Name Meaning, Usage, Popularity & Related Names
Opal is a Sanskrit name meaning “jewel”. It is a common name, overwhelmingly used for girls, with 99.83% female usage.
Meaning & Origin of the name Opal
Opal is a name of Sanskrit origin, taken directly from the word upala, which refers to a precious stone. The term entered Latin as opalus and subsequently English as the descriptor for the iridescent gemstone known for its unique play of color. It was adopted as a given name during the late 19th-century period, a time when using terminology related to nature, jewelry, and gemstones for children gained significant cultural traction. It reflects the era's fascination with natural beauty and decorative aesthetics.
Meaning Comments
- Donnytravel: In the Middle Ages, opal was considered a stone that could provide great luck because it was believed to possess all the virtues of each gemstone whose color was represented in the color spectrum of the opal. However, modern superstition attributes bad luck to the stone, though some believe this is avoided if opal is the owner's birthstone (that is, the owner was born in October) or if the stone is a gift. Even under the last czar at the beginning of the 20th century, it was believed that when a Russian of any sex, of any rank, saw an opal, amongst other goods offered for sale, he or she would not buy anything more, since, in the judgement of subjects of the czar, the opal embodied the evil eye. It's possible that the stone's extreme fragility (when compared to other gemstones) has contributed to this bad reputation.
- Dovis_auris1: The opal is a very soft gemstone.
- Holydjinn445: In the past I thought this name was pretty but now I think it looks granny-ish, it’s not horrible though I’ve seen worse.
Gender Usage of the Name Opal
Overall Gender Classification Methodology
Opal is overwhelmingly used as a name for girls. Approximately 99.83% of recorded bearers are female. This classification is supported by extensive records and is considered highly reliable.
Popularity of the Name Opal
Opal is among the Top 74 Trending Girls’ name Worldwide for 2026
Note: Green bars show popularity (% of births); the violet line shows historical ranking. Data is based on official government birth records. Click any chart to view details by year and region.
Overall PopularityMethodology
Opal is listed under Common Girl Names worldwide. Its popularity is relatively consistent across the available regional markets.
| Region | Popularity | Birth Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Common | 1 in every 9.7K births |
| United Kingdom | Common | 1 in every 134K births |
| Canada | Popular | 1 in every 42K births |
| Australia | Common | 1 in every 92K births |
Ranking OverviewMethodology
Opal ranked #562 on the Popular Girls’ Names Worldwide List (2025). It rose from #1,107 in 2024 — an improvement of 545 places. Opal is showing upward momentum and gaining recognition.
Historically, its best recorded position was #81 in 1911. Its lowest recorded position was #9,950 in 2002. Over the last 5 years (2020–2025) the name rose 686 places (from #1,248 to #562).
Name StyleMethodology
Opal is classified as Timeless Girl Names because it appears across 99% of recorded years, averages 529 births per year over its full timeline, and still averages 647 births per year recently.Explain More
Although the name also meets the Vintage criteria, the Timeless pattern is more strongly supported: activity across 99% of recorded years, with 529 lifetime average births per year and 647 recently. The competing Vintage pattern is supported by a decline to 0% of the historical peak followed by a 1.33x recent recovery, giving the selected Style an evidence margin of 18 percentage points.
Characteristics of the Name Opal
Pronunciation & StructureMethodology
- Phonetic Source
- CMU
- Syllables
- 2 syllables — Two-Syllable Girl Names
- Length
- 4 letters — Short Girl Names
- Starts with
- O — Girl Names Starting with O
- Ends with
- l — Girl Names Ending in “l”
Name AestheticMethodology
Opal is a two-syllable name with a trochaic stress pattern, evoking the mid-century trend of using gemstone names. Its rarity and historical usage in the early 20th century link it to a specific, bygone era. These traits contribute to a Vintage Revival aesthetic.
Middle Names For Opal
Middle names used with OpalMethodology
Opal is most frequently used with these girl middle names: Opal Mae · Opal Elizabeth · Opal Marie · Opal Smith · Opal LynnView all 190 girl middle names.
- Total 241 middle names used with Opal
- 12 boy middle names used with Opal
- 37 unisex middle names used with Opal
Middle name suggestions for OpalMethodology
Based on observed first-middle-name pattern combinations, Opal is most frequently associated with girl middle names that have Strong stress pattern, 5 letters, and a starting sound of “m”.
Examples: Opal Moore · Opal Mills · Opal Marsh · Opal Marks · Opal Moose. View all 101 suggested middle names.
Associations of the Name Opal
Natural Name MatchesMethodology
The complete dataset includes 51 biological records matching the name Opal. None belong to the curated biological families used to classify Flower-, Tree-, or Bird-Inspired Names. These records are provided for reference only.
Names Similar to Opal
Sound Like Opal Finder
Names with the exact same overall pronunciation and sound: Opale · Ople
Spelled Like Opal Finder
Names with similar spelling patterns and letter sequences: Opale
Same Starting Sound Finder
Names that begin with a similar phonetic sound: Olivia · Olga · Ola · View all Top 100 names
Rhymes With Opal Finder
Names that share similar ending sounds and rhymes: Michelle · Carol · Nicole · View all Top 100 names
Same Rhythm & Syllables Finder
Names with matching syllable stress and pronunciation rhythm: Mary · Linda · Sarah · View all Top 100 names
Dictionary & Etymology of “Opal”
Dictionary Meaning of "Opal"Methodology
A unisex given name from English from the precious stone, invented in the nineteenth century.
Show details
- A female given name from English from the precious stone, invented in the nineteenth century.
- A male given name from English from the precious stone, invented in the nineteenth century.
A unisex given name from English from the precious stone, invented in the nineteenth century
Examples
- Perhaps to console herself for the bad luck she had already suffered, in a back corner of South Sherbrooke Township - or perhaps to make up, ahead of time, for a lack of motherly feelings - she gave the girls the fanciest names she could think of: Opal Violet, Dawn Rose, and Bonnie Hope.
A type of petrol made by British Petroleum designed to be unable to be used for petrol sniffing
Examples
- Halton says, for example, that if there are bylaws that prohibit trafficking in fuel in a community where the non-sniffable petrol, Opal, had been introduced it would be the job of the local police to enforce the law. Her department, on the other hand, was dealing with the issue of the availability of Opal.
- Diesel is available at roughly 300km intervals on the WA side, as is Opal fuel which, at the Warburton and Warakuna roadhouses, can be used instead of unleaded petrol. (Opal is unsniffable, and its provision is one of the measures in place to counteract petrol-sniffing problems in local communities.)
A hamlet in Alberta, Canada
A census-designated place in Virginia
A town in Wyoming
More Info
How to Spell Opal in ASL
- O
- p
- a
- l
Comments on the name Opal
Community CommentsShowing 5 of 27 comments
Xskx_samurai
In 2018, 84 is the most common age for an American (U.S.) Opal who is registered female with the Social Security Administration. It is the 1, 188th most common female first name for living U.S. citizens.
G_0_wisches
Hurricane Opal was a Category 4 hurricane that caused severe damage along the Gulf Coast of the United States. It was the ninth hurricane and the strongest of the 1995 Atlantic hurricane season.
Lord_deyfior
The name Opal was given to 229 girls born in the US in 2015.
Hillbilly130
Besides being my favorite stone/gem, this name is an oldie but goodie. I would rather hear the name Opal than Jewel or Jade personally. Those names to me sound "trashy." Please forgive me if that is your name. In the book and movie "Because of Winn Dixie" Opal is the name of the young girl in the story. It also has a southern charm to it! This name deserves a comeback!
Beccas_toes
The Opal is the national gemstone of Australia, and the black Opal is the state gemstone of New South Wales. The Australian national women's basketball team is called The Opals because of this.