Ophelia

Ophelia - A very unique female name

Ophelia appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #280. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Ophelia and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Ophelia? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Ophelia. The baby girl name Ophelia was given to 1,163 baby girls in 2025, ranking #263 on the national girl baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 1,121 baby girls were given this name - making this a very unique female name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Ophelia peaked in popularity 2 years ago in 2024 on position 258.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Ophelia, 1-5?

Ophelia is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Ophelia is currently topping the baby name charts in Montana at position #117 - and is the least popular in Maryland at position #498.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Ophelia is where you live.

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Ophelia origin and meaning

Greek

'Help, advantage' — from Greek opheleia (help, benefit)

Ophelia comes from a Greek word for help and was rare until Shakespeare gave it to Hamlet's tragic heroine, whose drowning fixed the name's literary image for centuries. It nearly vanished in the US, then revived dramatically as a romantic vintage name, rising from #389 in 2020 to #263 in 2025, near its 2024 peak.

Attested etymology

Ophelia is a 7 letter name with 4 syllables.

To see famous people named Ophelia, pop culture references for the name Ophelia and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Ophelia

We've found the following names that sound similar to Ophelia, sorted by popularity.

Opal / Ofelia / Ofilia / Obelia / Oval / Ople / Ovell / Ovella /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Ophelia

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Ophelia a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique female name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Ophelia?

4 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

oh-FEEL-ee-uh · /oʊˈfiliə/

Around the world

• Ofelia (Spanish) — Spanish and Italian form
• Ophélie (French) — French form

Spellings and nicknames

• Ofelia — Spanish form used in the US

Nicknames: LiaFifi

Famous bearers

• Ophelia — Heroine of Shakespeare's Hamlet, who drowns after her descent into grief (Fictional, c. 1603) Fictional
• Ophelia DeVore — American businesswoman who founded a pioneering Black modelling agency and charm school (1922–2014) Contemporary

Style

LiteraryClassic

Why parents choose it

Ophelia offers Shakespearean romance and a lush, flowing sound, and its revival is one of the strongest in the vintage category.

Worth knowing

• Hamlet's Ophelia dies tragically, and some families find that story too sad to attach to a child.
• Four syllables with several pronunciations in circulation (oh-FEEL-ee-uh vs oh-FEEL-yuh).