Ophelia is a female given name of Greek origin, meaning "helper." Derived from the Ancient Greek word ὠφέλεια (ōphéleia, "benefit"), the name has a history dating back to the late 1800s and is associated with elegance and a Gothic, romantic sensibility. Notably, Ophelia is best known as a tragic character from William Shakespeare's Hamlet. In modern times, the name has gained further recognition through associations with music, art, and popular culture, including a song by The Lumineers. The Spanish-language spelling of the name is Ofelia. Ophelia has maintained popularity, ranking among the top 1,000 names for girls in the United States since 2015 and among the top 300 since 2022. It has also seen increased usage in England, Wales, and Canada. Additionally, the name has been borne by notable individuals and fictional characters across various fields and cultural works.
Ophelia (Catata) Paquet, a Tillamook woman, gained prominence in 1919 due to her involvement in an Oregon court case that revolved around the legal recognition of marriage across racial lines. At the time, Oregon had laws prohibiting interracial marriage, specifically targeting individuals of non-European descent. The case, which centered on whether Ophelia could inherit her deceased Euro-American husband's estate, highlighted the intersection of race, marriage, and property transmission, shedding light on the economic and social implications of anti-interracial marriage laws. Despite being married for over thirty years, the Oregon Supreme Court ruled against Ophelia, denying her claim to her husband's estate in adherence to the state's anti-interracial marriage law. This case underscored how race was intertwined with property rights and the economic dependency of women on men during the early twentieth century. Ophelia Paquet's story serves as a significant historical example of the impact of miscegenation laws and the privileges associated with property.
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