Counterfactual
The Parallel Lives of Merida and Opal
In 65 girls, Merida found its level. 50 years earlier, Opal occupied that same statistical address.
1916–2025
Merida
Peak year
2017
Peak births
116
Latest count
65
Status
Declining
Peak generation
Gen Alpha
1880–2025
Opal
Peak year
1918
Peak births
2,847
Latest count
740
Status
Rising
Peak generation
Greatest Generation
In 65 girls, Merida found its level. 50 years earlier, Opal occupied that same address. One peaked in the Greatest Generation era; the other in the Gen Alpha world. They never met. But the data remembers them both.