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[Opinions] Opal
I love the stone, it so beautiful. In the Middle Ages it was believed to bring good luck.Do you like Opal?I'm not so sure about the sound. It is close to German car manufacturer "Opel".Do you think it will come back? In the US it has entered the top 100 again. But not in Britain which is kind of weird considering they often embrace old names earlier.Opinions?
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I think it's lovely, 100% into it. Haven't met an Opal irl but I hope it gets popular
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I love Opal, but then again I love most gemstone names.
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I don't really like Opal. The sound isn't appealing to me and it seems a little old fashioned. I have character named Opal, born in the late 1800s, and I suppose it's that connection that makes it seem dusty to me. Honestly, I'm surprised it's made a comeback at all.
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Beautiful name. It has classy and sweet undertones.
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I think it’s lovely. I love the way it feels to say it, and it reminds me of the pretty opal necklace my grandma always wore.
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It's actually just in the top 1000 in the US. The English and Welsh charts only go down to 500 so I bet it's similar for them.Um I think it's fun. The sound on its own doesn't do much for me but I think it would work very well on a real person - better than Olive. I've met an Olive and that's a name that's pretty in theory and awkward on a person. Opal would be the reverse I think
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It has a certain charm, but no, I don't like Opal. It sounds too clunky and awkward, to me. I can't get into it.
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It’s okay. A little old-fashioned, but I could see it coming back as a popular middle name like Rose and Grace.
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I dislike Opal, but I think it might make a comeback, as it's old fashioned jewel names like Pearl seem to rising in popularity.
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I also love the stone and I’m quite partial to names ending in the “l” sound. I think it makes a nice name and I’m surprised it doesn’t get used more in the UK too. It might come back a little, but I don’t see it gaining hugely in popularity.
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Hate it. Ugly and hillbilly.
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Was it ever used in the UK? I've only ever encountered Opal in an American context.
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Yes, lots!Searching birth records, it was pretty common around the same time as it was common in the US. The difference in population size might be why you don't see UK Opals so much.
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(My favourite one that I found during this search was Hyacinth Opal Cock, who was born in September 1928, to parents James Albert Cock and Olive Cock. Yes, I am twelve. *giggles*)
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With a ln like that, I suppose brazening it out could be the best form of defence. In South Africa there is a very distinguished classical musician, conductor, presenter of programmes on classical music radio, choir master, you name it - lovely man - and his name is Richard Cock. Which to my knowledge has never been shortened to Dick, but I'm willing to bet that this must have occurred to a few little schoolboys ...
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You're are right. It is a great-grandmother type of name in USA, but, according to BtN, it has a history of barely any use in the UK.

This message was edited 8/13/2020, 5:42 AM

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But the BtN data doesn't really go back very far unfortunately.
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It also doesn’t go past the top 100 in the UK :(( unless it does. This is just from memory. I’ll edit if I’m wro Nd
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It goes up to 500.The Office for National Statistics publish the entire list each year (names given to 3 or more babies).
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That is a fair point.
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Happy to be corrected but..I have never met one here. Lots of older women named Beryl, babies called Ruby and 25-35 year olds called Jade, but no Opals.We did have a brand of sweets called Opal Fruits which was renamed as Starburst about twenty years ago, some people still get upset about the name change!
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Curious about where "here" is....
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England (I go between the South East and the Midlands)
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I think it’s an ok-ish name. I think like the sound feels short and unfinished - I prefer Opaline.It’s probably not popular in the U.K. because there used to be a packet of sweets called Opal Fruits (now Starburst) and to be honest it’s certainly what my mind goes to first when I hear Opal.
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Don't like it. I guess it is the OPE sound
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Love it! It’s one of my favorites.
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I like it
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I mostly like it as a middle name. I think it could come back. It fits with Ruby, Jade, Onyx, Emerald, Pearl, and some others that are either already popular or on their way back. I also like Opaline.
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Funny, I've heard that opals are thought to be bad luck.
I do like the name. As a gem name it's kind of a happy medium: not as slick as Jade, not as down-home as Pearl, not as perky as Ruby, not as out there as Sapphire, not as well-used as Amber …
I don't like it well enough to use it for a first name, but it is pretty.
I do, however, associate it with the character in the Pickles comic strip. :) There don't seem to be any other famous Opals.
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I want to like it. The stone is beautiful. I should like this name. But I just don't.
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its ok, not sure it will make a comeback
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