| Daphne | Ophelia | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Laurel | Help, benefit |
| Origin | greek | Greek |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | DAF-nee | oh-FEEL-yuh |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1886 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2025 (1,740) | 2024 (1,223) |
| In 2025 | 1,740 | 1,183 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Daphne | Ophelia |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 7,562 | 6,560 |
| 2010s | 7,768 | 3,981 |
| 2000s | 5,126 | 474 |
| 1990s | 2,519 | 252 |
| 1980s | 2,699 | 295 |
| 1970s | 4,827 | 397 |
| 1960s | 6,933 | 720 |
| 1950s | 2,789 | 1,388 |
| 1940s | 1,321 | 1,392 |
| 1930s | 764 | 1,948 |
| 1920s | 1,057 | 3,276 |
| 1910s | 498 | 2,372 |
| 1900s | 162 | 1,236 |
| 1890s | 131 | 899 |
| 1880s | 26 | 580 |
From Greek 'daphne' (δάφνη) meaning 'laurel, bay tree'. In myth the nymph Daphne was transformed into a laurel to escape Apollo.
From the Greek ophelos, “help” or “benefit.” Ophelia appears in Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
Daphne is more popular than Ophelia today: about 1,740 US babies were given the name Daphne in 2025, compared with 1,183 named Ophelia.
Daphne means Laurel (greek origin), while Ophelia means Help, benefit (Greek origin).
In US records, Daphne first appears in 1886 and Ophelia in 1880, so Ophelia has the longer recorded history.