Orla
A feminine name of Irish origin meaning "golden princess".
Name Census estimates that about 863 living Americans carry the first name Orla. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 79.8% of registrations being female. The average person named Orla today is around 18 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Orla births was 2024 (71 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Orla. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
863
~ 1 in 397,166 Americans
Peak year
2024
71 babies that year
Average age
18
years old
1965 SSA rank
#2,517
Tracked since 1880
Gender
Gender distribution for Orla
Orla is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 1,415 total registrations, 286 (20.2%) were male and 1,129 (79.8%) were female.
Orla as a male name
- Ranked #3,816 in 1965
- 6 male births in 1965
- Peak: 1921 (13 births)
Orla as a female name
- Ranked #2,517 in 2024
- 71 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (71 births)
Popularity
Orla: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Orla from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 13 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 287 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Orla by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Orla during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Orlas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 8 states and territories. New York, California, Massachusetts recorded the most babies named Orla, while Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Jersey recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 28 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Orla
The name Orla is of Irish and Gaelic origin, stemming from the Old Irish word "orlaith", which means "golden princess" or "golden jewel". This name has been in use since ancient times in Ireland and is closely associated with Irish culture and heritage.
The earliest recorded use of the name Orla can be traced back to the 7th century, appearing in ancient Irish literary texts and historical records. It was a popular name among the noble families and royal clans of Ireland, particularly in the provinces of Ulster and Connacht.
One of the most notable historical figures bearing the name Orla was Orla Fehin, an Irish princess and warrior who lived in the 6th century. She is celebrated in Irish folklore for her bravery and leadership during a time of conflict between rival clans.
In the 12th century, Orla Ó Maoilchonaire was an Irish noblewoman and patron of the arts, known for her support of poets and bards. Her legacy contributed to the preservation of Irish literary traditions during the Norman invasion of Ireland.
Another prominent figure in Irish history was Orla Ní Dhonaill, a 16th-century chieftain and leader of the O'Donnell clan in County Donegal. She played a significant role in the Nine Years' War against English forces, demonstrating her military prowess and unwavering commitment to Irish independence.
During the 19th century, Orla Ní Chonaill was an Irish language scholar and writer who helped revive the study and preservation of the Irish language. Her contributions to the Gaelic literary revival were widely recognized and celebrated.
More recently, Orla Kiely, born in 1963, is an Irish fashion designer and businesswoman renowned for her iconic patterns and prints. Her successful career has brought international recognition to the name Orla, popularizing it globally.
While the name Orla has retained its Irish roots and cultural significance, it has also gained popularity in other parts of the world, particularly in English-speaking countries, due to its unique and melodic sound.
People
Orla + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Orla as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with O
Other first names starting with O with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Orla: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Orla?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 863 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Orla going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 397,166 US residents.
Is Orla a common name?
We classify Orla as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,415 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Orla most popular?
The single biggest year for Orla was 2024, when 71 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Orla is about 18 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Orla a female name?
Yes, 79.8% of people registered as Orla in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.