Home › Baby Names Directory › Ophelia

Ophelia

♀ Girl

Pronounced oh-FEE-lee-uh /oʊˈfiːliə/High

Meaning: Help, aid; one who offers assistanceHigh

In 30 seconds: A luminously beautiful name meaning 'help,' immortalised by Shakespeare. Ophelia has shaken off its tragic overtones and emerged as one of the most celebrated vintage revivals of the decade — lyrical, romantic, and breathtaking.
💕 Browse more names
Origin HighGreek, English
MeaningHelp, aid; one who offers assistance
U.S. rank (2025)#264 ↘ Falling
2025 U.S. births1,183 girls (0.07% of U.S. girls)
Peak year2024
Total births (all-time)≈ 25,758

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 202418802025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

History & Origin

Ophelia is believed to have been coined or adapted by the Italian poet Jacopo Sannazaro in his pastoral romance Arcadia (1504), later popularised by Shakespeare in Hamlet (c. 1601). The name derives from the Greek ophelos (ὄφελος), meaning 'help' or 'benefit.' Shakespeare's Ophelia — the gentle, ultimately tragic daughter of Polonius — became one of the most iconic female characters in Western literature.

For centuries, Ophelia's literary association with madness and tragedy made parents hesitant. But the 21st century has reframed it as a luminously beautiful vintage name. Ophelia entered the U.S. top 200 for girls in the 2010s and has been climbing strongly.

Did you know? Despite Ophelia's tragic fate in Hamlet, Shakespeare seems to have invented the name himself — it does not appear in the Danish sources he used. It is one of literature's most magnificent coinages.
Overall data confidence 90%
Behind the Name — Ophelia — etymology and literary historyU.S. Social Security Administration — popularity data

Variations

OfeliaOphélie

Nicknames

OphieLiaFifi

Famous Bearers

  • ★Ophelia (Hamlet) (c. 1601)
    Shakespearean character in Hamlet, one of the most iconic tragic heroines in world literature.

If you like Ophelia…

Cordelia— Shakespearean tragic heroine name with the same lyrical Renaissance grandeur
Juliet— Shakespeare's most romantic heroine sharing the same soaring Italian vowel beauty
Rosalind— Shakespearean comedy heroine with the same complex, flowering literary beauty
Imogen— rare Shakespearean name with the same ethereal, four-syllable Renaissance feel

Frequently Asked

What does the name Ophelia mean?

Ophelia means 'help' or 'aid,' derived from the Greek ophelos (benefit, help). Shakespeare likely adapted it from an earlier Italian source.

How do you pronounce Ophelia?

It is said oh-FEE-lee-uh /oʊˈfiːliə/ — four syllables, stress on the second.

Is Ophelia a boy or girl name?

Ophelia is used almost exclusively as a girls' name.

How popular is Ophelia?

Ophelia has been strongly rising and entered the U.S. top 200 for girls in the mid-2020s.