Ophelia

Meaning of Ophelia

Derived from the ancient Greek word ὠφέλεια (opheleia), meaning “succor” or “benefit,” Ophelia entered the English onomasticon through Shakespeare’s Hamlet (1603), wherein the eponymous heroine’s tragic arc endowed the appellation with a lasting literary gravitas that was later amplified by the Pre-Raphaelites and by nineteenth-century Victorian romanticism. Historically present in American vital-statistics records since the federal counts began, the name experienced a gradual attenuation during the mid-twentieth century before re-ascending in the early 2000s; its recent, data-verified rise—moving from the 800s to the mid-200s in little more than two decades—illustrates the contemporary preference for historically resonant, phonaesthetically elaborate forms. Phonetically rendered in English as o-FEEL-yuh (/oʊˈfiːliə/), Ophelia balances soft vocalic openings with a liquid consonantal core, producing an auditory profile that many parents regard as simultaneously classical and modern. Culturally, the name situates a child within a lineage that references Greek etymology, Elizabethan drama, and a broader Anglo-American artistic heritage, thereby offering a multifaceted option for families seeking nomenclatural depth without recourse to overtly archaic forms.

Pronunciation

British English

• Pronunced as o-FEEL-yuh (/əʊˈfiːliə/)

American English

• Pronunced as o-FEEL-yuh (/oʊˈfiːljə/)

• Sophia
• Amelia
• Isabella
• Olivia
• Penelope
• Aurora
• Seraphina