Ophelia Name Meaning, Origin, History, And Popularity

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Origin, Meaning, And History Of Ophelia

Ophelia has its origins in the ancient Greek word “ōphéleia,” meaning help, benefit, or advantage. Popularly known as one of Shakespeare’s tragic characters in his play ‘Hamlet,’ Ophelia carries an ethereal vibe. Although not a traditional choice, it is a unique name for your baby girl.

Poet Jacopo Sannazaro is believed to have brought this name back to popularity in his poem Arcadia in the 15th century. There aren’t many versions of the name, with only spelling differences in other languages. For instance, it is spelled Ofelia in Italian, Ofeliya in Russian and Bulgarian, and Ophelie in French.

One of the moons of the planet, Uranus, has been named after Hamlet’s Ophelia while an asteroid has also been named 171 Ophelia. In popular culture, the main character of the film Pan’s Labyrinth is named Ofelia, and Morticia’s sister in The Addams Family is also called Ophelia.

The name Ophelia features in many writings, often closely related with the Shakespearean character. More recently, the popular band Lumineers released their single ‘Ophelia’ in 2016, which has since been played over 800 million times on Spotify. There are numerous other songs titled ‘Ophelia’ by various artists and bands.

Many artists of the 19th century named their work Ophelia. An 1883 painting by Alexandre Cabanel, an 1870 painting by Pierre Auguste Cot, and a painting by Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood member Arthur Hughes were named Ophelia.

Considered a delicate and formal-sounding name, Ophelia was popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. However, there has been a sharp rise in its popularity in the US since 2015, and it has been steadily rising in the UK and Wales since the early 2000s. Ophelia has also been growing in popularity in Canada since 2020.

Ophelia

Meaning The one who has helping hands.

Gender Girl

Religion Greek,Judaism

Origin Greek

Names starting with O.. Op.. Opa.. Opp.. Obe.. Ofe.. Ofi.. Ove.. Oba.. Ope.. Oph..

How To Pronounce Ophelia?

English

Famous People With The Name Ophelia

Ophelia BensonAmerican author and feminist
Ophelia MarieDominican musician
Ophelia DevoreAmerican businesswoman, publisher, and model
Ophelia Pastrana ArdilaColombian-Mexican transgender physicist, economist, speaker
Ophelia Hoff SaytumahLiberian politician
Ophelia Magdalena DahlBritish-American social justice and healthcare advocate
Ophelia Alcantara DimalantaFilipino poet, editor, author, and teacher
Ophélia KolbFrench actress
Ophelia FordAmerican politician, a former Democratic member

Ophelia On The Popularity Chart

An unconventional name, Ophelia has been growing in popularity in recent times. The graphic representation below will give you more information about its popularity.

Popularity Over Time

The name Ophelia saw a sudden surge in popularity from around 2010 and has been rising since then. Check out the graphic below to find out more.

Source: Social Security Administration

Rank Over Time

Ranked 321 in 2021, the rise of the name Ophelia has been close to meteoric if you look at its rank in 2001, when it was as low as 6247. The graphic below explains the ranking in detail.

Source: Social Security Administration