Girl name · Greek
Ophelia
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: help, benefitOphelia is a girl's name that comes from Greek and means "help, benefit". It is used in English.
- Meaning
- Help, benefit
- Origin
- Greek
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #264 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Ophelia
As a girl's name, Ophelia comes from Greek and means "help, benefit". It is used in English.
Meaning checked against Behind the Name. How we research names
Ophelia on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Ophelia on 5 lists.
“A Shakespeare heroine, from the Greek word for help”
From Female cat names, elegant female cat names
“Greek for help, the poetic heroine of Hamlet”
From Girl dog names, feminine names for dogs
“Help, benefit; Greek. Hamlet's tragic love, forever linked with willows”
From Gothic names, gothic female names with real meanings
“Help, benefit; Greek. The tragic heroine of Hamlet”
From Vintage girl names, royal and literary vintage names
“Greek for help; Shakespeare's flower-strewn heroine”
From Witch names, witchy names for girls
How popular is Ophelia?
- US rank in 2025
- #264
- 1,183 babies, 736 per million girls
- Best rank
- #232 in 1882
- Most babies: 1,223 in 2024
- Babies since 1880
- At least 25,770
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 442 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 405 per million |
| 1900s | 422 per million |
| 1910s | 291 per million |
| 1920s | 274 per million |
| 1930s | 183 per million |
| 1940s | 96 per million |
| 1950s | 72 per million |
| 1960s | 39 per million |
| 1970s | 26 per million |
| 1980s | 17 per million |
| 1990s | 14 per million |
| 2000s | 26 per million |
| 2010s | 227 per million |
| 2020s | 674 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #582 | #417 | #373 | #385 | #391 | #321 | #271 | #265 | #259 | #264 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Other forms of Ophelia
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- OfeliaHelp (Greek, girl)
- OphélieHelp (Greek, girl)
Names spelled like Ophelia
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- OdeliaI will thank God (Hebrew, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- EliezerMy God is help (Hebrew, boy)
- EzraHelp, assistance (Hebrew, boy)
- ArnbjorgEagle and help (Old Norse, girl)
- AzrielMy help is God (Hebrew, boy)
- EbenezerStone of help (Hebrew, boy)
- EldbjørgFire and help (Old Norse, girl)
- EliécerMy God is help (Hebrew, boy)
- GotthilfGod's help (German, boy)
- GudbjorgGod and help (Old Norse, girl)
- IhyeonBenefit and virtue (depends on hanja) (Korean, boy)
Middle names for Ophelia
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More girl names from Greek
- AlexandraDefender of men (Greek, girl)
- ElenaForm of Helen, probably from Greek torch (Greek, girl)
- IrenePeace, tranquility (Greek, girl)
- IrisA rainbow (Greek, girl)
- SofiaWisdom, skill (Greek, girl)
- SophieWisdom, skill (Greek, girl)
- ZoeLife, living (Greek, girl)
- AnastasiaResurrection, rising again (Greek, girl)
- ChristinaFollower of Christ (Greek, girl)
- NicoleVictory of the people (Greek, girl)
Ophelia: common questions
What does the name Ophelia mean?
Ophelia comes from Greek and means "help, benefit". Checked against Behind the Name.
Is Ophelia a boy or girl name?
Ophelia is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Ophelia come from?
Ophelia comes from Greek and means "help, benefit". Today it is used in English.
How popular is the name Ophelia?
Ophelia ranked #264 in the US in 2025, with 1,183 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Ophelia?
Forms of Ophelia with the same meaning and origin include Ofelia (Spanish) and Ophélie (French).
What middle names go with Ophelia?
Middle names that flow well with Ophelia include Agnes, Alice, Aoife, Daisy and Dawn. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.