Ophelia
Ophelia is a girl's name of Greek origin.
Meaning
Help, benefit, or succor.
Origin and history
Ophelia is derived from the Ancient Greek word meaning help or benefit. It gained widespread cultural recognition through Shakespeare's tragedy Hamlet. In the United States, the name has seen a notable resurgence in popularity in recent years.
Popularity in the United States
25,770 babies in the United States have been named Ophelia since 1880. It ranks #902 all-time. Among babies born since 2020 it ranks #289.
States where it is most popular
- TX (10.4 %)
- CA (8.2 %)
- GA (6.1 %)
- NC (5.5 %)
- LA (4.9 %)
Trends by decade
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880-1890 | 580 |
| 1890-1900 | 899 |
| 1900-1910 | 1,236 |
| 1910-1920 | 2,372 |
| 1920-1930 | 3,276 |
| 1930-1940 | 1,948 |
| 1940-1950 | 1,392 |
| 1950-1960 | 1,388 |
| 1960-1970 | 720 |
| 1970-1980 | 397 |
| 1980-1990 | 295 |
| 1990-2000 | 252 |
| 2000-2010 | 474 |
| 2010-2019 | 3,981 |
| 2020-2029 | 6,560 |
Nicknames
Lia, Phee
Fun facts
- The name was prominently popularized by William Shakespeare for the tragic heroine in his play Hamlet.
- One of the inner moons of Uranus is named Ophelia after the Shakespearean character.