Nameling

Ophelia

Gender
Girl
Say it
o-FEE-lee-a
Origin
Greek
UK rank, 2025
#85 for girls
US rank, 2025
#264 for girls

Ophelia is a girls' name of Greek origin, meaning “help, benefit”. In 2025 it ranked 85th for girls in the UK (604 babies) and 264th for girls in the US (1,183 babies).

What does Ophelia mean?

Greek: from opheleia, probably coined by the poet Sannazaro

“help, benefit”

Best known as Hamlet's tragic love in Shakespeare's play; the name had earlier appeared in Sannazaro's poem Arcadia (1504).

More on Wiktionary.

Is Ophelia a girl's or a boy's name?

Ophelia is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 604 girls in the UK and 1,183 girls in the US. Too few boys were given it to be listed.

How popular is Ophelia in the UK?

Rank in 2025
#85among girls
Babies in 2025
604about 1 in 460 girls
Five-year trend
Rising fastup 111% in five years
Same name in a class
3%chance among 15 girls

In 2025, 604 girls in the UK were named Ophelia, making it the 85th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 195th. Its busiest year was 2024, with 665 girls.

Half of all the girls named Ophelia in the UK since 1996 were born between 2016 and 2023, the years shaded on the chart below.

Among girls in 2025, it was 81st in England and Wales, 183rd in Scotland and 334th in Northern Ireland.

In the England and Wales top 100 for girls, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 2024 (#73).

1996Busiest: 665 in 20242025
Ophelia in the UK, year by year
YearGirlsRank
2025604#85
2024665#80
2023645#82
2022625#89
2021446#124
2020280#195
2019285#194
2018341#175
2017251#226
2016181#303
2015201#270
2014146#344
2013153#340
2012118#430
2011112#438
201072#607
200999#460
200868#611
200760#648
200651#682
200541#769
200437#814
200318#1,317
200217#1,280
200126#929
200033#772
199927#893
199828#866
199723#995
199618#1,122

How popular is Ophelia in the US?

Rank in 2025
#264among girls
Babies in 2025
1,183about 1 in 1,400 girls
Five-year trend
Risingup 46% in five years
Same name in a class
1%chance among 15 girls

In 2025, 1,183 girls in the US were named Ophelia, making it the 264th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 391st. Its busiest year was 2024, with 1,223 girls.

Half of all the girls named Ophelia in the US since 1880 were born between 1923 and 2020, the years shaded on the chart below.

1880Busiest: 1,223 in 20242025
Ophelia in the US, year by year
YearGirlsRank
20251,183#264
20241,223#259
20231,177#265
20221,169#271
20211,014#321
2020794#391
2019813#385
2018839#373
2017765#417
2016533#582
2015276#978
2014226#1,121
2013185#1,277
2012139#1,566
2011109#1,840
201096#2,059
200976#2,484
2008101#2,042
200766#2,750
200647#3,413
200543#3,457
200433#4,168
200337#3,727
200232#3,974
200118#6,062
200021#5,307
199927#4,197
199828#4,020
199725#4,236
199629#3,718
199522#4,513
199427#3,887
199326#3,982
199217#5,477
199124#4,202
199027#3,808
198919#4,664
198821#4,167
198725#3,521
198645#2,264
198535#2,703
198430#2,914
198324#3,339
198235#2,645
198134#2,657
198027#3,134
197936#2,525
197835#2,474
197732#2,606
197636#2,292
197538#2,196
197431#2,433
197344#1,885
197256#1,607
197139#2,107
197050#1,781
196955#1,609
196853#1,575
196755#1,506
196666#1,335
196567#1,337
196472#1,319
196375#1,271
196287#1,177
196187#1,183
1960103#1,057
1959105#1,035
1958133#882
1957133#884
1956121#913
1955111#931
1954158#735
1953159#718
1952133#774
1951163#682
1950172#649
1949139#718
1948141#704
1947146#700
1946115#767
1945119#680
1944140#620
1943165#586
1942147#616
1941131#616
1940149#568
1939144#558
1938167#523
1937184#481
1936171#493
1935186#467
1934196#461
1933211#443
1932237#427
1931201#454
1930251#414
1929255#416
1928283#400
1927311#386
1926314#385
1925364#358
1924362#360
1923323#370
1922364#340
1921347#353
1920353#348
1919331#353
1918313#366
1917285#375
1916266#385
1915260#375
1914224#355
1913187#351
1912208#317
1911129#353
1910169#297
1909160#282
1908124#316
1907132#305
1906120#305
1905125#299
1904109#308
1903122#285
190295#319
190199#302
1900150#267
1899112#270
189899#315
1897103#278
189679#326
189591#303
189477#318
189389#280
1892101#264
189183#271
189065#312
188975#275
188881#255
188770#251
188660#269
188551#275
188461#247
188355#241
188256#230
188127#301
188044#233

Nicknames for Ophelia

Names like Ophelia

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

Ottilie Emilia Matilda Aurelia Ada Lottie Rosa Eliza Olive Amelia Eloise Orla

Names related to Ophelia

Ofelia

More Greek names

Luca Theodore Sophia George Theo Lucas Sofia Alexander Sebastian Penelope Phoebe Margot Luke Chloe Sophie Zoe

Every Greek name

Sources

Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.

To cite this page: Nameling, “Ophelia: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/ophelia, updated 20 October 2026.