Meaning of name Opal

The names of some famous persons by the name Opal (or its variants) are:

Opal Whiteley, born on 11 December, a famous writer. Opal Whiteley's background: A nature writer and diarist whose childhood journal was first published in 1920 as The Story of Opal in serialized form in the Atlantic Monthly, then later that same year as a book with the title The Story of Opal: The Journal of an Understanding Heart. The diary was reprinted with a biography and foreword by Benjamin Hoff in 1994. In her diary and later in life, Opal claimed to have been adopted by the Whiteleys, and was later buried under the name Françoise de Bourbon-Orléans. Opal's true origins and the veracity of her diary were disputed during her lifetime, and continue to be questioned today. While she has many fans (Opalites) who believe her claim to French royalty and that her book was an authentic childhood diary, others claim that she fabricated the diary to gain publicity and suffered from a psychological disease(schizophrenia) that led her to engage in fantasies about her 'true' parents. In either case, her diary remains a beloved part of American literature.

Opal Bonfante, born on 19 March , a famous television personality. Opal Bonfante's background: A British television and radio presenter. Opal currently hosts various shows on British satellite TV, including Gala TV, the television channel of Gala Bingo. She was a pioneer of podcasting, presenting a series of interviews titled Living Legends; among her interview subjects were former member of The Monkees, Davy Jones, illusionist Uri Geller and, in his first interview for fifteen years, Peter Townshend from The Who. She also presented a national radio show on Big L 1395 called London Calling, which initially featured live interaction with the audience; she resigned while on air in 2007, citing creative differences with the station's new management, who had reportedly been behind major alterations to the format of the show. Opal is a staunch animal rights activist and vegetarian. Opal supports charities such as the RSPCA and PETA and gave away the valuable fur coats left to her by relatives to London's homeless community.