Okpara
Okpara is common Igbo surname. It was traditionally a title for the firstborn son, becoming a patronymic during the colonial era. Anambra peoples use the variant “Okpala,” while the Afikpo, Aro, Bende, and Ngwa people use “Okwara.” The spelling Opara is common in Owerri, though its pronunciation is identical to Okpara.
Meaning & Origin of Okpara
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Okpara is common Igbo surname. It was traditionally a title for the firstborn son, becoming a patronymic during the colonial era. Anambra peoples use the variant “Okpala,” while the Afikpo, Aro, Bende, and Ngwa people use “Okwara.” The spelling Opara is common in Owerri, though its pronunciation is identical to Okpara.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Okpara
Okpara first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1979, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1979, when 5 Okparas were born — ranking #6,056 that year. As of 2026, Okpara ranks #6,056 for baby boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 5 Okparas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Okpara
Phonetically similar names — useful when Okpara is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Okpara
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About the name Okpara
Okpara is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1979 and has accumulated 5 births in the dataset. Okpara's peak popularity came in 1979 when it ranked #6,056. Use the chart and map above to compare Okpara's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1979 →
- Names of the 1970s →
- Names starting with "O" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.