The first name Ophelia
A girl’s name from Greek meaning “help”, “aid”, “succour”.
Pronounced /oʊˈfi.əl.jə/ 3 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
Greek origin
Ophelia means “help”, “aid”, “succour” in Greek.
Borrowed from Italian Ofelia, coined by the poet Jacopo Sannazaro in his poem Arcadia (1504), probably from the Ancient Greek ὠφέλειᾰ (ōphéleiă, “help, aid, succour”). The name was used by William Shakespeare for the daugher of Polonius and ill-fated love interest of Hamlet. The moon (of Uranus) is named after this character. Doublet of anopheles
More names that mean protector.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 578 girls were named Ophelia, making it the 81st most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2024, with 645 births (#73).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Ophelia with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Ophelia at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 1,183 girls born in the United States were named Ophelia, the 264th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 2024, when 1,223 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Ophelia in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Ophelia in German too.
Famous people named Ophelia
5 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Ophelia LovibondEnglish actress (born 1986)
- Ophelia BensonAmerican writer, born 1948
- Ophelia PastranaColombian-Mexican YouTuber, born 1982
- Ophélia KolbFrench actress, born 1982
- Minnie PearlAmerican comedian and country singer (1912–1996)
More Greek girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Ophelia mean?
- Ophelia means “help”, “aid”, “succour” in Greek.
- What is the origin of the name Ophelia?
- Borrowed from Italian Ofelia, coined by the poet Jacopo Sannazaro in his poem Arcadia (1504), probably from the Ancient Greek ὠφέλειᾰ (ōphéleiă, “help, aid, succour”). The name was used by William Shakespeare for the daugher of Polonius and ill-fated love interest of Hamlet. The moon (of Uranus)…
- How popular is the name Ophelia?
- In 2025, 578 girls born in England and Wales were named Ophelia, ranking 81st. Its peak was 2024, with 645 births.
- Is Ophelia a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 25,785 US babies named Ophelia since 1880 were girls.
- When was Ophelia most popular?
- 2024 in the United States, when 1,223 babies were named Ophelia, its highest rank at 259th.
- How do you pronounce Ophelia?
- Ophelia is /oʊˈfi.əl.jə/, 3 syllables.