2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Opala
A surname of Polish origin meaning "to fall; destroyer".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 110 Americans carry the last name Opala. That puts it at #156,540 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,115,949 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Opala surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
110
1 in 3,115,949
Census rank
#156,540
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
96
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 96 bearers of the surname Opala in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156540th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Opala, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Black (5.2%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Opala
The surname "OPALA" is of Polish origin and can be traced back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the Polish word "opala," which means "ember" or "glowing coal." This suggests that the name may have initially been given as a nickname to someone who worked with fire, such as a blacksmith or a baker.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "OPALA" can be found in the records of the town of Krakow, where a certain Jan Opala was listed as a blacksmith in the year 1572. This provides a solid connection between the name and its potential occupation-based origins.
In the 17th century, the name appears to have spread to other parts of Poland, with records showing individuals bearing the surname "OPALA" in the regions of Silesia and Masovia. During this period, variations in spelling such as "Oppala" and "Opalla" were also present.
One notable bearer of the name "OPALA" was Marcin Opala, a Polish military officer who fought in the Polish-Swedish War of the mid-17th century. He is mentioned in several historical accounts for his bravery and leadership during the conflict.
Moving into the 18th century, the name "OPALA" can be found in various parish records and census documents throughout Poland. A prominent figure from this time was Józef Opala, a respected scholar and professor of philosophy at the University of Krakow, who lived from 1725 to 1798.
In the 19th century, the name gained further recognition with the birth of Aniela Opala (1825-1892), a Polish writer and activist who championed women's rights and education. Her literary works and advocacy efforts made her a notable figure in the cultural and social spheres of her time.
Another historically significant individual with the surname "OPALA" was Józef Opala (1867-1935), a Polish engineer and industrialist. He played a crucial role in the development of the mining industry in the region of Silesia and was instrumental in the establishment of several coal mines and related infrastructure.
While the surname "OPALA" has its roots in Poland, it has also been carried by individuals of Polish descent who emigrated to other parts of the world, contributing to its global distribution and presence.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Opala
Among Census respondents with the surname Opala, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Black (5.2%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Opala bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Opala surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.7% · 89
- Black or African American5.2% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Opala
Opala appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-13 bearers (-11.4%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 23,875 places
2020
#156,540
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 96
-5 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 3,172 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #135,837 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | -13 bearers (-11.4%) | Down 23,875 places |
| 2020 | #156,540 | 96 | 0.03 | -5 bearers (-5.0%) | Up 3,172 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Opala surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #159,712 | #156,540 | 2.0% |
| Count | 101 | 96 | -5.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Opala bearers went from 101 to 96 (-5.0% change). The surname moved up 3,172 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #156,540.
FAQ
Opala surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Opala?
Name Census estimates that about 110 living Americans carry the surname Opala. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,115,949 residents.
How common is Opala?
Opala ranks #156,540 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 96 people with the surname Opala. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (110), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Opala.
Has Opala become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Opala went from 101 recorded bearers to 96. That is a decrease of 5 (-5.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #156,540.
What does the Census say about the background of Opala?
Among Census respondents with the surname Opala, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Black (5.2%) and Hispanic (1.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Opala in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (89 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Opala appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.7%), Black (5.2%), Hispanic (1.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Opala (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Opala mean?
A surname of Polish origin meaning "to fall; destroyer". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Opala (0.03 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Opala?
See how many Americans have the surname Opala on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.