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