Find out how popular the last name Opal is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Opal.

Opal, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Opal surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Opal in America

Opal is the 49999th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Opal surname appeared 419 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Opal.

We can also compare 2010 data for Opal to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Opal

The surname Opal has its origins in the Middle English period, deriving from the Old English word "opel" or "opala," which referred to the precious opal gemstone. This gemstone was highly prized and associated with wealth and luxury.

The name's earliest recorded use as a surname dates back to the late 12th century in England. It is believed to have originated as a descriptive surname, given to individuals who either mined, traded, or worked with opals.

The Opal surname is found in various historical records, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a John Opel is mentioned as a resident of Norfolk, England. Additionally, the Subsidy Rolls of 1327 list a William Opel in Cambridgeshire.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Opal surname was Richard Opal, a merchant from London, who lived in the late 14th century. He is mentioned in several trade records of that time period.

In the 16th century, the surname appears in various spellings, such as Oppell, Opell, and Opeale, reflecting the evolving nature of English spelling and pronunciation.

Notable individuals with the Opal surname throughout history include:

1. Sir Thomas Opal (1590-1652), an English military commander who served in the English Civil War.
2. Jane Opal (1645-1712), an English writer and poet from Suffolk.
3. Robert Opal (1712-1778), a Scottish architect and engineer known for his work on various churches and bridges in Edinburgh.
4. William Opal (1789-1863), an English naturalist and explorer who traveled extensively in Africa and South America.
5. Emily Opal (1845-1912), an American suffragist and activist from New York, who campaigned for women's rights and education.

While the Opal surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and intermarriage. However, its origins can be traced back to the Old English word for the precious gemstone, reflecting the name's connection to wealth and luxury in its earliest days.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Opal

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Opal.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Opal was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Opal has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Opal was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Opal, please contact us.

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