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Opal Family History

Opal Surname Meaning

Jewish (from Poland): artificial name from German Opal or Polish opal ‘opal’ (the jewel).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Opal family from?

You can see how Opal families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Opal family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1880 and 1920. The most Opal families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there was 1 Opal family living in Ontario. This was 100% of all the recorded Opal's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Opal families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Opal surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Opal ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Waitress were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Opal. 29% of Opal men worked as a Laborer and 42% of Opal women worked as a Waitress. Some less common occupations for Americans named Opal were Accountant and Housework.

View Census Data for Opal | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

United States shown, Canada data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    29%
  • Clerk
    13%
  • Farmer
    13%
  • Accountant
    10%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Waitress
    42%
  • Housewife
    25%
  • Stenographer
    17%
  • Housework
    17%

What Opal family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1,000 census records available for the last name Opal. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Opal census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Opal

Passenger Lists

There are 296 immigration records available for the last name Opal. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Opal immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 257 military records available for the last name Opal. For the veterans among your Opal ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Opal military records

You've only scratched the surface of Opal family history

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What is the average Opal lifespan?

Between 1963 and 2004, in the United States, Opal life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1964, and highest in 1972. The average life expectancy for Opal in 1963 was 75, and 56 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Opal

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Opal ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Opal family tree

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