Oprah
A feminine name of Biblical origin meaning "fawn".
Name Census estimates that about 95 living Americans carry the first name Oprah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Oprah today is around 35 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Oprah births was 1987 (37 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Oprah. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Oprah. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
95
~ 1 in 3,607,940 Americans
Peak year
1987
37 babies that year
Average age
35
years old
2007 SSA rank
#15,078
Tracked since 1986
Popularity
Oprah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Oprah from the 1980s through to the 2000s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 73 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Oprah 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 Oprah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Oprahs live
Origin
Meaning and history of Oprah
The name Oprah is a unique and intriguing one, with its origins shrouded in mystery and speculation. Some scholars believe it may be derived from the ancient Hebrew word "oprah," which means "fawn" or "young deer." This connection could suggest that the name was initially associated with grace, beauty, and gentleness.
Another theory traces the name's roots to the Sanskrit language, where "apara" means "other" or "beyond." This potential etymology implies a sense of transcendence or a journey towards the unknown. However, the exact cultural and linguistic origins of the name remain elusive, adding to its enigmatic allure.
In terms of historical references, the name Oprah is not widely documented in ancient texts or religious scriptures. This scarcity of early written records contributes to the mystique surrounding its origins and early usage.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Oprah are relatively recent, with the first known person bearing the name being Oprah Winfrey, the renowned American media mogul, actress, and philanthropist. Born in 1954, Oprah Winfrey has undoubtedly been the most influential and recognizable individual to carry this name.
While Oprah Winfrey's prominence has brought the name into the global spotlight, a few other notable individuals throughout history have also shared this moniker. For instance, Oprah Gail Winfrey (1935-2003), the cousin of the famous talk show host, was a civil rights activist and educator in her own right.
Another individual bearing the name Oprah was Oprah Mae Mickens (1926-2008), an American gospel singer and songwriter who contributed to the rich tapestry of African American music in the 20th century.
In the realm of literature, Oprah Garnett (1858-1919) was a British author and playwright known for her novels and plays depicting the lives of working-class women in late Victorian England.
Lastly, Oprah Sidonie Gabriel (1858-1925) was a French painter and engraver who gained recognition for her portraits and landscapes during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
While these examples provide glimpses into the historical usage of the name Oprah, its true origins and early evolution remain enigmatic, adding to the allure and intrigue surrounding this unique moniker.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Oprah
People
Oprah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Oprah 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
Oprah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Oprah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 95 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Oprah 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 3,607,940 US residents.
Is Oprah a common name?
We classify Oprah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 63.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 99 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Oprah most popular?
The single biggest year for Oprah was 1987, when 37 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Oprah is about 35 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Oprah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Oprah 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.
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.