How Many People Are Named Opie?

An estimated 450 people in the United States have the first name Opie. It is used for both genders, with 87.3% male. The average bearer is 18 years old, and Opie peaked in popularity in 2022 with 50 births that year.

Below you will find a full statistical profile of Opie as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Opie paired with any surname.

Estimated Living Americans

450

About 1 in 761,676 people in the U.S.

Rarity

Very Rare

Very Rare Very Common

Predicted Gender

Male

87.3% confidence

Average Age

18

years old

Peak Year

2022

50 births

Total Registered

777

since 1880

Gender Distribution for Opie

Opie is predominantly male (87.3%), though 99 female births have been registered. It functions as a unisex name for a small percentage of bearers.

Male 678 (87.3%)
Female 99 (12.7%)

Opie as a male name

Ranked #3,191 in 2024

38 male births in 2024

Peak: 2022 (50 births)

Opie as a female name

Ranked #5,254 in 1928

5 female births in 1928

Peak: 1917 (15 births)

Opie in the 2020 Census

The 2020 Census recorded 363 people with the first name Opie, which placed it at #25,917 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.

Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.

Gender in the 2020 Census

In the 2020 Census, Opie was recorded as predominantly male. Out of 363 people with this name in that snapshot, 88.7% were male and 11.3% were female. That is very close to the long-run birth pattern in SSA records, where the name is male 87.3% of the time.

Census Count

363

people with this name

Census Rank

#25,917

among Census first names

Frequency Rate

0.12

per 100,000 people

Male 322 (88.7%)
Female 41 (11.3%)

Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census

In the 2020 Census, the first name Opie was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (76.52%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (8.56%) and Hispanic (8.29%).

These percentages describe the people who had the first name Opie in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.

White
76.52%
Black
8.56%
Hispanic
8.29%
Asian/Pacific Islander
1.66%
American Indian/Alaska Native
1.93%
Two or More Races
3.04%

2020 Census demographic breakdown

Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Opie.

Group Share Count
White 76.52% 277
Black 8.56% 31
Hispanic 8.29% 30
Two or More Races 3.04% 11
American Indian and Alaska Native 1.93% 7
Asian and Pacific Islander 1.66% 6

The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.

Opie: Popularity Over Time

SSA records for Opie span from the 1880s to the 2020s, covering 11 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 2020s, when 214 babies were registered. Opie remains highly popular today, with recent registration numbers near its historical peak.

Male
Female
0 10 20 30 40 50 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 2020

Opie by Decade

How has Opie tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.

Decade Total Male Female
1880s 5 0 5
1900s 17 5 12
1910s 136 81 55
1920s 117 90 27
1930s 42 42 0
1940s 24 24 0
1950s 12 12 0
1960s 30 30 0
1970s 21 21 0
2010s 159 159 0
2020s 214 214 0

Opie by State

Birth registrations for Opie span all 5 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in Arkansas, West Virginia, Tennessee. The lowest are in Ohio, California, Tennessee. On average, about 10 Opies were registered per state.

Opie + Last Name Combinations

How many people share a full name with Opie as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.

Opie: Questions and Answers

How many people in the U.S. are named Opie?

We estimate approximately 450 people named Opie are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 761,676 Americans share this first name.

Is Opie a common name?

Opie is classified as "Very Rare" and is more popular than 83.6% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 777 births have been registered with this name since 1880.

When was Opie most popular?

Opie reached peak popularity in 2022, when 50 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Opie is approximately 18 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.

How common was Opie in the 2020 Census?

The 2020 Census recorded 363 people with the first name Opie. That placed it at #25,917 in the published Census first-name tables, or 0.12 people per 100,000.

Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?

Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.

What does the SSA popularity chart show?

The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Opie was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.

What does the Census say about the gender split for Opie?

In the 2020 Census snapshot, Opie was recorded as predominantly male. The published split was 88.7% male and 11.3% female.

What does the Census say about the background of people named Opie?

In the 2020 Census, the first name Opie was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (76.52%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (8.56%) and Hispanic (8.29%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.

Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?

The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.

Does every first name have Census demographic data?

No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.

Is Opie a male name?

Opie is predominantly male. 87.3% of people with this name are male. See the gender breakdown above for full details.

Why can Opie have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?

Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Opie peaked in 2022, and the average living bearer is about 18 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.

How many Opie Smiths are there?

To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Opie Smith, Opie Johnson, Opie Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.

Where does this data come from?

Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.

Search for a full name combination