What was Opie's full name?

[Malificent]

Ron Howard got his acting start on “The Andy Griffith Show” playing a character named Opie Taylor. What did “Opie” stand for?

[Revtim]

I found this:
http://www.zille.com/griffith/faqresults.asp?type=3&start=1

Q. What was the origin of the name Opie? Was it short for something?
A. Jim Clark once told me that Opie Taylor was most likely named for Opie Cates, a prominent bandleader of the '40s or ‘50s whom Andy Griffith and Sheldon Leonard both admired. I have never figured out if Mr. Cates’ name was short for something else, or if it was really “O.P.” Opie Taylor did spell his name O-P-I-E. It can be seen on the love note he wrote to Miss Crump in “Opie Loves Helen”, and on the board he burned his name into in “Barney’s Sidecar.” --Paul Mulik(paulmulik@getonthe.net)

[Shagnasty]

Q. What was the origin of the name Opie? Was it short for something?
A. Jim Clark once told me that Opie Taylor was most likely named for Opie Cates, a prominent bandleader of the '40s or ‘50s whom Andy Griffith and Sheldon Leonard both admired. I have never figured out if Mr. Cates’ name was short for something else, or if it was really “O.P.” Opie Taylor did spell his name O-P-I-E. It can be seen on the love note he wrote to Miss Crump in “Opie Loves Helen”, and on the board he burned his name into in “Barney’s Sidecar.” --Paul Mulik(paulmulik@getonthe.net)

http://www.zille.com/griffith/faqresults.asp?type=3&start=1

[Walloon]

I can answer the question about Opie Cates: Yes, “Opie” was really Cates’ first name, and was not from the initials “O.P.” He appears in the Social Security Death Index as Opie T. Cates (10 Oct 1909 — 6 Nov 1987).