Given name
Orla
“the golden queen”
Orla is used as a given name. One interpretation is “the golden queen.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One interpretation is “the golden queen.”
How it developed
In English usage, Orla developed from Órfhlaith.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Orla through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,485
- 286 boys · 1,199 girls
- Most popular year
- 2024
- 71 babies
- 2025
- 70
- #2,532 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +120%
- Rising fast
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 70 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 2,532 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 119.6% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, New York had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (11). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,001 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Orla’s family of names
In English usage, Orla developed from the Irish form Órfhlaith. Orla has a related form in Orghlaith. Orla has a related form in Orghlaithe.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 8
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Orla
- Orla BradyIrish actressborn 1961
- Orla JørgensenDanish racing cyclist (1904-1947)
- Orla GuerinIrish journalistborn 1966
- Orla Treacymissionary in South Sudanborn 1973
- Orla GartlandIrish singer-songwriter and guitaristborn 1995
- Orla RosenhoffDanish composer (1844-1905)
- Orla PrendergastIrish cricketerborn 2002
- Orla MøllerDanish politician (1916-1979)
- Orla Hermann KrauseDanish chess player (1867–1935)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Orla, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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ᚐᚃᚔᚈᚈᚑᚏᚔᚌᚓᚄ
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Eleni
“the shining light” · “shining light”
>99% girls