Explore the Family Name Opal
The meaning of Opal
Jewish (from Poland): artificial name from German Opal or Polish opal ‘opal’ (the jewel).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Opal in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Opal experienced a slight rise in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 51,809th in terms of prevalence, but by 2010, it had climbed up to the 49,999th spot, marking a modest increase of 3.49%. During that same period, the count of people with the Opal surname grew by 11.14%, from 377 in 2000 to 419 in 2010. Despite this growth in numbers, the proportion of individuals with the Opal surname per 100,000 people remained constant at 0.14.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #51,809 | #49,999 | 3.49% |
| Count | 377 | 419 | 11.14% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.14 | 0.14 | 0% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Opal
When examining the ethnic identity associated with the surname Opal, according to the Decennial U.S. Census, we see some significant shifts between 2000 and 2010. The proportion of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander saw a substantial increase of 258.65%, growing from 1.33% to 4.77%. Meanwhile, those identifying as having two or more ethnicities slightly decreased by 10.06%, while the percentage of those identifying as White also fell, going from 91.51% to 88.07%. The Hispanic segment saw an increase, rising from 3.71% to 5.01%. The proportions identifying as Black, American Indian, and Alaskan Native remained at zero.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 91.51% | 88.07% | -3.76% |
| Hispanic | 3.71% | 5.01% | 35.04% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.33% | 4.77% | 258.65% |
| Two or More Races | 1.59% | 1.43% | -10.06% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |