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Opha
How to Pronounce Opha
Pronounced OH-fuh /ΛoΚ.fΙ/Low
Meaning: Opha is a rare early-American given name whose origin is not settled. It may draw on a biblical place-name such as Ophrah, or simply be a short, distinctive coinage of the kind common in the rural United States around 1900. Its meaning is best treated as uncertain.Low
Popularity in the U.S. Β· SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880βpresent). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Opha is one of the many short, hard-to-trace names that circulated in the American South and Midwest around the turn of the twentieth century. Its origin is uncertain; some connect it to a biblical place-name like Ophrah, while others treat it as a spare coinage. We flag the meaning as unsettled rather than invent one.
Opha was never a common name, reaching only about twenty girls a year at its high point around 1917 before fading well before mid-century. Its lasting fame rests less on numbers than on Opha May Johnson, whose 1918 enlistment made the name a small footnote in Marine Corps history.
Variations
Nicknames
Famous Bearers
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Opha May Johnson (1878-1955)the first woman to enlist in the United States Marine Corps, in 1918
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Opha mean?
Its origin is uncertain; it may draw on a biblical place-name like Ophrah or be a short coinage, so we treat the meaning as unsettled.
How do you pronounce Opha?
It is said OH-fuh /ΛoΚ.fΙ/, two syllables with the stress on the first.
Is Opha a boy or girl name?
Opha is used here as a girl's name.
How popular is Opha?
It has always been rare in the United States, given to only about twenty girls a year at its peak in the nineteen-teens.