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[Opinions] Re: Opal - question
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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