BABY NAMES
Opal
Hindi, Latin
 Up in popularity
 Down in popularity
 Best bet
 Unisex
Like Pearl, Opal is a name that looks pretty on a necklace but sounds hoplessly matronly on a little girl. On the plus side: Opal is the main character in the wonderful children's book/movie Because of Winn-Dixie.

Variations
Opale, Opall, Opaline, Opalina
Popularity rankings from the Social Security Administration
Opal
About name popularity rankings
You may find some surprises -- for example, who knew Jennifer was a boy's name? Because this feature uses actual Social Security data, it includes the human error that attends a large survey, but it still reliably reflects the patterns of naming fashion.