girl's name
Orla
OR-la
- Origin Irish
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 100 (E&W)
- Births on record 26,918
Scotland
#19
2024 births
Orla is a girl's name of Irish origin meaning "golden princess." It comes from the Gaelic Órlaith, combining ór, gold, with flaith, sovereignty or prince, and was borne by a sister of Brian Boru.
- Orla is a name of Irish origin.
- Peaked in England and Wales in 2021, when 794 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade in England and Wales.
- Today about 1 in 731 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- Orla started out as a boys' name and is now given almost entirely to girls.
- First appears in birth records in 1996.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Orla over time
Births per decade in England and Wales, 1990s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1990s | 343 |
| 2000s | 1,787 |
| 2010s | 4,840 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 4,550 |
What Orla means
Orla means golden sovereignty, usually rendered as golden princess. The second element means rule or lordship rather than a royal daughter, so the name claims authority rather than rank by birth.
Where Orla comes from
Orla anglicizes the Irish Órlaith, from ór, gold — a borrowing from the Latin aurum — and flaith, sovereignty, prince or lord. It was one of the most common women's names in medieval Ireland, borne by a sister and a niece of Brian Boru, the high king killed at Clontarf in 1014. The name nearly vanished during the centuries of English rule and returned with the twentieth-century Gaelic revival, which is why it feels contemporary despite being a thousand years old.
Orla in use
Our data shows Orla peaking in 2021 and still rising, at 64 in England and Wales against 2,537 in the United States — a forty-fold gap. Irish names travel well within these islands and poorly across the Atlantic, which is the reverse of what their diaspora history would suggest.
How popular is Orla?
In 2025, Orla was given to 721 babies in England and Wales, ranking #64 that year. It is one of the most popular names in England and Wales.
Where Orla is used
Figures for England and Wales withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year, so a gap means the name fell below that floor rather than went unused. Data & sources.
How Orla is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Órla | Órla is a rare spelling of Orla, written with a fada and recorded 79 times, mostly in Ireland. | 79 |
Names that peaked alongside Orla
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Orla also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Orla over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Orla
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Orla in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- Danish
- Orla
Sibling names for Orla
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Orla — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Orla
What does the name Orla mean?
Orla means "golden princess," from the Irish ór, gold, and flaith, sovereignty.
How do you spell Orla in Irish?
Órlaith is the traditional Irish spelling, with Orlagh and Orlaith also in use.
Is Orla an old name?
A thousand years old. It was among the most common women's names in medieval Ireland and was borne by relatives of Brian Boru.
How popular is the name Orla?
In 2025, Orla was given to 721 babies in England and Wales, ranking #64 that year. It is one of the most popular names in England and Wales.
Is Orla a girl's or a boy's name?
Orla is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Orla?
Orla has 2 syllables.
When was Orla most popular?
Orla peaked in 2021, when 794 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Orla?
Orla is usually shortened to Or.
Is Orla a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Orla currently ranks #19 in England and Wales. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.
Was Orla originally a boys' or girls' name?
Orla was given mostly to boys in the earliest US birth records and is now given almost entirely to girls.