Opha
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly meaning "weaver" or "plait".
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Opha. It is a predominantly female name (97.3% of registrations). The average person named Opha today is around 97 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Opha births was 1917 (17 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Opha. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Opha is about 97 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Ophas were born before 1939.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Opha. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
1917
17 babies that year
Average age
97
years old
1918 SSA rank
#3,614
Tracked since 1887
Gender
Gender distribution for Opha
Opha leans heavily female at 97.3% of total registrations, but 12 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Opha as a male name
- Ranked #3,614 in 1918
- 7 male births in 1918
- Peak: 1918 (7 births)
Opha as a female name
- Ranked #5,187 in 1942
- 5 female births in 1942
- Peak: 1917 (17 births)
Popularity
Opha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Opha from the 1880s through to the 1940s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 116 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1910s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Opha by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Opha during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Ophas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Opha
The name Opha is rooted in Hebrew origins, derived from the biblical name Ophrah. Ophrah was a town mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the territory of Benjamin. The name is believed to be derived from the Hebrew word "ophar," meaning "fawn" or "young deer."
In the Book of Judges, Ophrah is noted as the birthplace of Gideon, one of the judges of Israel. This biblical reference solidifies the name's ancient Hebrew roots and its connection to the region's history and religious texts.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Opha can be traced back to the Middle Ages, particularly in Europe. One notable bearer of the name was Opha of Merania, a German noblewoman who lived in the 13th century and was the wife of King Andrew II of Hungary.
Another historical figure with the name Opha was Opha Moore, an American educator and author from the late 19th century. She was born in 1839 and was a prominent figure in the field of early childhood education, publishing several books on the subject.
In the literary world, Opha Prudence Benton was an American author and poet who lived from 1829 to 1900. She is best known for her work "The Pilgrim's Vision," a poem published in 1858.
Moving into the 20th century, Opha Combe was a British artist and illustrator who lived from 1892 to 1965. She is renowned for her illustrations in children's books, particularly those published by the renowned Raphael Tuck & Sons publishing house.
Another notable bearer of the name was Opha Mott, an American athlete who competed in the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis. She won a silver medal in the women's basketball tournament, making her one of the earliest female Olympic medalists from the United States.
Throughout its history, the name Opha has maintained a strong connection to its Hebrew roots and biblical references, while also being carried by notable figures across various fields, including literature, art, education, and sports.
People
Opha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Opha as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with O
Other first names starting with O with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Opha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Opha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Opha going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Opha a common name?
We classify Opha as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 439 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Opha most popular?
The single biggest year for Opha was 1917, when 17 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Opha is about 97 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Opha in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Opha a female name?
Yes, 97.3% of people registered as Opha in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Opha still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Opha in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Opha can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Opha?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.