girl's name
Ophelia
oh-FEE-lee-a
- Origin Greek
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 3
- Letters 7
- Popularity Top 100 (E&W)
- Births on record 35,793
the United States
#264
2025 births
Ophelia is a girl's name of Greek origin meaning "help" or "benefit." It comes from ōphelia, assistance, and was almost certainly coined as a name by the Italian poet Jacopo Sannazaro in 1504.
- Ophelia is a name of Greek origin.
- Peaked in US records in 2024, when 1,223 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade in US records.
- Today about 1 in 912 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 2.
Ophelia over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. Ophelia is more popular in England and Wales — see the country table below. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 580 |
| 1890s | 899 |
| 1900s | 1,236 |
| 1910s | 2,377 |
| 1920s | 3,286 |
| 1930s | 1,948 |
| 1940s | 1,392 |
| 1950s | 1,388 |
| 1960s | 720 |
| 1970s | 397 |
| 1980s | 295 |
| 1990s | 252 |
| 2000s | 474 |
| 2010s | 3,981 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 6,560 |
What Ophelia means
Ophelia means help, aid or benefit. The Greek noun describes usefulness and advantage — the good that one person does another — rather than rescue from danger.
Where Ophelia comes from
Ophelia derives from the Greek ōphelia, help or benefit, from ōphelein, to assist. Unlike most Greek-rooted names it was not used in antiquity: Jacopo Sannazaro appears to have invented it for a shepherdess in his pastoral Arcadia of 1504, and Shakespeare took it from that tradition for Hamlet around 1600. The play made the name famous and, for three centuries, unusable — the drowned Ophelia was too strong an association, reinforced by Millais's 1852 painting. Only recently has the name been chosen for its sound rather than avoided for its story.
Ophelia in use
Our data shows Ophelia peaking in 2024 and still rising, at 81 in England and Wales against 264 in the United States. It first appears in our records in 1880. Its revival is a case of a literary association fading enough to stop being a deterrent — the name did not change, the weight of the reference did.
How popular is Ophelia?
In 2025, Ophelia was given to 578 babies in England and Wales, ranking #81 that year. It is one of the most popular names in England and Wales.
Where Ophelia is used
England and Wales figures withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year. The historical chart above uses US records, the only series running back to 1880. Data & sources.
How Ophelia is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Ophélia | Ophélia is Ophelia written with an acute accent, used in France, where it ranks #766. | 740 |
Names that peaked alongside Ophelia
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Ophelia also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Ophelia over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
2 nicknames for Ophelia
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Ophelia in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Ophelia
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Ophelia — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Ophelia
What does the name Ophelia mean?
Ophelia means "help" or "benefit," from the Greek ōphelia.
Did Shakespeare invent Ophelia?
No — Jacopo Sannazaro appears to have coined it in his 1504 pastoral Arcadia. Shakespeare took it from that tradition for Hamlet.
Is Ophelia a sad name?
The association kept it out of use for three centuries. Our data shows it rising now, as the reference has faded for most parents.
How popular is the name Ophelia?
In 2025, Ophelia was given to 578 babies in England and Wales, ranking #81 that year. It is one of the most popular names in England and Wales.
Is Ophelia a girl's or a boy's name?
Ophelia is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Ophelia?
Ophelia has 3 syllables.
When was Ophelia most popular?
Ophelia peaked in 2024, when 1,223 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Ophelia?
Ophelia is usually shortened to Effie and Lia.
Is Ophelia a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Ophelia currently ranks #81 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.