How popular is the baby name Orla in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Use the popularity graph and data table below to find out! Plus, see all the blog posts that mention the name Orla.

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Popularity of the baby name Orla


Posts that mention the name Orla

Popular baby names in the Channel Islands, 2022

Flag of Jersey
Flag of Jersey

The Channel Islands are an archipelago located in the English Channel, close to the coast of France. They are divided into two territories, Jersey and Guernsey, and residents of both regions are considered British citizens (even though the regions themselves are not officially part of the UK).

The territory of Jersey coincides with the archipelago’s most populous island, Jersey, while the territory of Guernsey includes several of the less populous islands: Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Herm.

Jersey

Last year, Jersey welcomed a total of 835 babies — 371 girls and 464 boys. Here are Jersey’s top 10 girl names and top 10 boy names of 2022:

Girl names

  1. Willow
  2. Mia
  3. Aria
  4. Sienna
  5. Lily
  6. Daisy
  7. Olivia
  8. Emily
  9. Florence
  10. Valentina

Boy names

  1. Arthur
  2. Noah
  3. Luca
  4. Leo
  5. Lucas
  6. Oliver
  7. Theodore
  8. Frederick
  9. Finn
  10. Albert

A year earlier, the top names in Jersey were Sienna and Arthur.

(In future years, baby names in Jersey may be affected by an amendment enacted in March of 2023 that allows the island’s Superintendent Registrar to refuse to register any name that “might cause mistake, confusion, or embarrassment to the child.”)

Guernsey

Last year, Guernsey welcomed “just over 500 babies.” Here are Guernsey’s top girl names and top boy names of 2022:

Girl names

  1. Ava, 9 baby girls
    • “In three cases it was hyphenated with another name.”
  2. Daisy, 6
  3. Evelyn, 5 (tie)
  4. Isabelle/Isabella, 5 (tie)
  5. Beatrice/Beatrix/Beatrise, 4 (7-way tie)
  6. Eden, 4 (7-way tie)
  7. Emilia, 4 (7-way tie)
  8. Isla, 4 (7-way tie)
  9. Ivy, 4 (7-way tie)
  10. Phoebe, 4 (7-way tie)
  11. Orla, 4 (7-way tie)

Boy names

  1. Freddie, 5 baby boys (tie)
  2. Jack, 5 (tie)
  3. Finley/Finlay, 4 (5-way tie)
  4. Jackson, 4 (5-way tie)
  5. James, 4 (5-way tie)
  6. Oscar, 4 (5-way tie)
  7. Rory, 4 (5-way tie)
  8. Alexander, 3 (12-way tie)
  9. Alfie, 3 (12-way tie)
  10. Arlo, 3 (12-way tie)
  11. Arthur, 3 (12-way tie)
  12. Elijah, 3 (12-way tie)
  13. Ethan, 3 (12-way tie)
  14. Harry, 3 (12-way tie)
  15. Leo, 3 (12-way tie)
  16. Noah, 3 (12-way tie)
  17. Rudy, 3 (12-way tie)
  18. Theo, 3 (12-way tie)
  19. Tommy/Tommie, 3 (12-way tie)

A year earlier, the top names in Guernsey were Olivia and a tie between Luca and Theodore. (In 2022, Olivia was given to 3 girls, Luca to a single boy, and Theodore wasn’t used at all.)

My source also mentioned that…

  • Poppy, Emily, Edie, Luna, Imogen, and Tilly were given to 3 baby girls each, Charlotte was given to 2 baby girls, and Amelia and Penelope were given to 1 baby girl each.
  • Archie and Frederick were given to 2 baby boys each, and Henry and Thomas were given to 1 baby boy each.

Finally, here’s a link to the Channel Islands’ 2021 rankings, if you’d like to compare.

Sources:

Image: Adapted from Flag of Jersey (public domain)

Popular and unique baby names in Scotland (UK), 2022

Flag of the United Kingdom
Flag of the United Kingdom

Scotland — the country that covers the northern third of the island of Great Britain (the largest island in Europe) — shares a border with only England.

Last year, Scotland welcomed nearly 47,000 babies. What were the most popular names among these babies? Olivia and Noah.

Here are Scotland’s top 50 girl names and top 50+ boy names of 2022:

Girl Names

  1. Olivia, 309 baby girls
  2. Isla, 296
  3. Freya, 294
  4. Millie, 280
  5. Emily, 244
  6. Amelia, 234
  7. Grace, 233 (tie)
  8. Sophie, 233 (tie)
  9. Ava, 226 (tie)
  10. Ella, 226 (tie)
  11. Lily, 218
  12. Charlotte, 214
  13. Sophia, 184
  14. Aria, 177
  15. Harper, 169 (tie)
  16. Ivy, 169 (tie)
  17. Evie, 161
  18. Lucy, 158
  19. Mia, 156
  20. Rosie, 154
  21. Sofia, 149
  22. Eilidh, 146
  23. Orla, 144
  24. Maisie, 143
  25. Daisy, 134 (tie)
  26. Willow, 134 (tie)
  27. Jessica, 129
  28. Ruby, 127
  29. Ellie, 122
  30. Anna, 119 (tie)
  31. Bonnie, 119 (tie)
  32. Elsie, 116
  33. Esme, 115
  34. Maya, 113 (tie)
  35. Sienna, 113 (tie)
  36. Mila, 106
  37. Robyn, 105
  38. Isabella, 104
  39. Georgia, 101 (tie)
  40. Hannah, 101 (tie)
  41. Poppy, 100
  42. Eva, 98
  43. Ayla, 96
  44. Layla, 95
  45. Callie, 94 (tie)
  46. Skye, 94 (tie)
  47. Hallie, 93
  48. Holly, 92
  49. Maeve, 90
  50. Emma, 89

Boy Names

  1. Noah, 373 baby boys
  2. Jack, 342
  3. Leo, 310
  4. Harris, 274
  5. Luca, 273
  6. Oliver, 261
  7. Rory, 251
  8. Archie, 246
  9. Alfie, 243 (3-way tie)
  10. James, 243 (3-way tie)
  11. Theo, 243 (3-way tie)
  12. Finlay, 234 (tie)
  13. Lewis, 234 (tie)
  14. Alexander, 230
  15. Charlie, 226
  16. Brodie, 221
  17. Lucas, 203
  18. Finn, 201
  19. Logan, 195
  20. Thomas, 183
  21. Mason, 177
  22. Oscar, 164
  23. Max, 160 (tie)
  24. Muhammad, 160 (tie)
  25. Tommy, 159
  26. Freddie, 156
  27. Jacob, 147
  28. Cameron, 145
  29. Jude, 143
  30. Arthur, 140
  31. Daniel, 137
  32. Kai, 135
  33. Harry, 132
  34. Blake, 131
  35. Ollie, 129
  36. Harrison, 122 (3-way tie)
  37. Hunter, 122 (3-way tie)
  38. Roman, 122 (3-way tie)
  39. Adam, 118
  40. William, 117
  41. Arlo, 116
  42. Caleb, 115
  43. Reuben, 110
  44. Ethan, 105 (tie)
  45. Liam, 105 (tie)
  46. George, 103
  47. Sonny, 102
  48. Nathan, 101
  49. Angus, 100 (3-way tie)
  50. Jamie, 100 (3-way tie)
  51. Theodore, 100 (3-way tie)

The fastest-rising names in the girls’ top 100 were Nova, Maeva, Annie, and Nina.

The fastest-rising names in the boys’ top 100 were Teddy, Parker, Hudson, and Theodore.

Here are some of the names from lower down on the list:

  • 15 boys were named Reo, which is the first name of Japanese soccer player Reo Hatate, who joined Glasgow-based Celtic F.C. in early 2022. (Before this, the highest usage of Reo was 3 boys in a single year.)
  • 14 girls were named Vaila, which is the name of one of the Shetland Islands.
  • 7 girls were named Perrie, which is the first name of Perrie Edwards, member of the British girl-group Little Mix. (The name rose in usage during the 2010s, peaking in 2017 with 16 baby girls.)
    • Fun fact: Perrie Edwards’ name was inspired by Steve Perry of Journey.
      • Fun fact #2: Steve Perry’s father’s surname was originally Pereira. (Both of his parents immigrated from the Azores.)
  • 6 girls were named Sanna, which is the first name of Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin, who assumed office in late 2019. (Before this, the highest usage of Sanna was 3 girls in a single year.)
  • 5 boys were named Argyll, which is the name of a historical shire of Scotland.
  • 2 girls were named Kinvara, which is the name of a village in Ireland.

Baby names that were bestowed just once in Scotland last year include…

Unique Girl NamesUnique Boy Names
Athdara, Awilix, Bromwyn, Cadhla, Davilla, Ekklesia, Fillow, Fuchsia, Gigha, Hunter, Ianthe, Janada, Kyveli, Little, Mcgee, Newlana, Omnia, Phay, Qunoot, Rixt, Ryssa, Sunrise, Tianabelle, Uonaidh, Viosa, Xizhi, Yumo, ZerinAous, Bruar, Bruich, Cosanostra, Druie, Endrick, Fendt, Giric, Horatio, Iriah, Kenrong, Likhit, Moray, Normand, Ozan, Pacesetter, Perkunas, Qhawe, Ravine, Rubix, Scottie, Tearlach, Uisdean, Vania, Wudah, Xhambir, Yasiel, Zarrar

Possible explanations/associations for a few of the above:

  • Athdara – the Irish place name Áth Dara, meaning “ford of [the] oak.”
  • Awilix – the Mayan moon goddess Awilix.
  • Bruar – the Scottish place name and/or the Scottish clothing brand.
  • Bruich – the Scottish word bruich, meaning “cooked, boiled” and “ruddy-faced” (among other things).
  • Cadhla – the Irish word cadhla, meaning “beauty.”
  • Cosanostra – the Italian phrase cosa nostra, meaning “our thing, our affair.” Cosa Nostra is another name for the Sicilian Mafia.
  • Gigha – the Scottish island of Gigha (pronounced GHEE-ah).
  • Giric – the 9th-century Pictish king Giric mac Dúngail.
  • Kyveli – the modern Greek form of Cybele.
  • Likhit – the Nepali word likhit, meaning “written, textual.”
  • Moray – the historical province of Scotland.
  • Perkunas – the Lithuanian thunder god Perkunas.
  • Qhawe – the Xhosa and Zulu word qhawe, meaning “hero.”
  • Rubix – the Rubik’s cube, named after its Hungarian creator, Erno Rubik.
  • Tearlach – the Scottish name Teàrlach, which comes from the Old Irish name Tairdelbach.
  • Uisdean – the Scottish name Ùisdean, which comes from the Old Norse name Eysteinn.

Finally, here are Scotland’s 2021 rankings, if you’d like to compare last year to the year before.

Sources: Babies’ First Names 2022 – NRS, Babies’ First Names 2022, Report – NRS (PDF), Trends in baby names 2022 (PDF), Almost three deaths for every two births registered in 2022 – NRS, Behind the Name, Wiktionary, Inside Perrie Edwards’ rise to fame – Mirror Online, Steve Perry – Wikipedia

Image: Adapted from Flag of the United Kingdom (public domain)

Popular and unique baby names in Scotland (UK), 2021

Flag of the United Kingdom
Flag of the United Kingdom

According to the National Records of Scotland (NRS), the most popular baby names in the country last year were Olivia and Jack.

Here are Scotland’s top 50 girl names and top 50 boy names of 2021:

Girl Names

  1. Olivia, 349 baby girls
  2. Emily, 318
  3. Isla, 317
  4. Freya, 270
  5. Ella, 259
  6. Amelia, 257
  7. Ava, 241
  8. Sophie, 238
  9. Grace, 235
  10. Millie, 216
  11. Lily, 205
  12. Sophia, 200
  13. Charlotte, 196
  14. Rosie, 190
  15. Aria, 183
  16. Evie, 181
  17. Maisie, 165
  18. Lucy, 164 (tie)
  19. Mia, 164 (tie)
  20. Eilidh, 160
  21. Ellie, 159 (3-way tie)
  22. Ivy, 159 (3-way tie)
  23. Orla, 159 (3-way tie)
  24. Jessica, 150
  25. Harper, 144
  26. Maya, 134 (tie)
  27. Willow, 134 (tie)
  28. Georgia, 126
  29. Daisy, 123 (tie)
  30. Sofia, 123 (tie)
  31. Mila, 122
  32. Isabella, 121 (tie)
  33. Ruby, 121 (tie)
  34. Hannah, 119
  35. Skye, 118
  36. Sienna, 116
  37. Molly, 113
  38. Hallie, 111
  39. Bonnie, 108 (tie)
  40. Poppy, 108 (tie)
  41. Eva, 106
  42. Esme, 104
  43. Anna, 102 (3-way tie)
  44. Ayla, 102 (3-way tie)
  45. Erin, 102 (3-way tie)
  46. Callie, 98
  47. Zara, 92
  48. Layla, 91
  49. Emma, 90 (tie)
  50. Robyn, 90 (tie)

Boy Names

  1. Jack, 382 baby boys
  2. Noah, 337
  3. Leo, 289
  4. Oliver, 284
  5. Harris, 273
  6. Finlay, 255
  7. Lewis, 254
  8. James, 252
  9. Rory, 247
  10. Alexander, 240
  11. Brodie, 236
  12. Alfie, 224
  13. Charlie, 220
  14. Theo, 219
  15. Archie, 217
  16. Lucas, 214
  17. Mason, 205
  18. Finn, 197
  19. Thomas, 193
  20. Freddie, 192
  21. Max, 190
  22. Logan, 187
  23. Harry, 181
  24. Jacob, 176
  25. Blake, 159 (tie)
  26. Luca, 159 (tie)
  27. Oscar, 157
  28. Jude, 155
  29. William, 146
  30. Caleb, 140
  31. Roman, 138
  32. Cameron, 136
  33. Jaxon, 133
  34. Adam, 131
  35. Joshua, 130
  36. Ollie, 129 (tie)
  37. Tommy, 129 (tie)
  38. Daniel, 125 (tie)
  39. Ethan, 125 (tie)
  40. Harrison, 124
  41. Luke, 122
  42. Arthur, 121
  43. Muhammad, 120
  44. Jamie, 118 (tie)
  45. Liam, 118 (tie)
  46. Reuben, 112
  47. Arlo, 110
  48. Grayson, 103 (3-way tie)
  49. Hunter, 103 (3-way tie)
  50. Kai, 103 (3-way tie)

The fastest-rising names in the girls’ top 100 were Lyla, Blake, and Rowan.

The fastest-rising names in the boys’ top 100 were Carson, Struan, and Myles.

Other names that have seen higher usage recently include Maeva (influenced by Made in Chelsea actress Maeva D’Ascanio) and Connell (influenced by Normal People character Connell Waldron).

And what about the unique names?

Almost 12% of baby girls were given a name that no other girl was registered with in 2021. Almost 9% of boys had unique names for births last year.

Baby names bestowed just once in Scotland last year include…

Unique Girl NamesUnique Boy Names
Arlo-Moon, Aquamarine, Boglarka, Bryar-Loch, Cleagh, Cocohuay, Dervla, Diadem, Ember-Willow, Estrid, Falluin, Floraidh, Ghillie, Gwenno, Hessa, Humna, Iolanthe, Ischia, Jahanara, Juaa, Ketaki, Knoxie, Linaz, Liola-Sky, Mharli-Mae, Myfanwy, Nardos, Nymeria, Ocean-Bleu, Otterly, Pannavee, Paris-Sarah, Quinnie, Ribhinn, Ruoyi, Salka, Stuti, Thyra, Tifa, Unsa, Velvetjane, Wilda, Xiylo, Ying, Zanna, ZarnishArziki, Athilan, Bligh, Bruar, Caladh, Ciurar, Domhnall, Doski, Eloim, Ezra’banx, Firth, Fury, Gilmar, Guyan, Hanzala, Harcus, Ieuan, Ivaylo, Jockie, Joris, Kairimui, Kallikrates, Linstrum, Lorenzo-Moon, Marric, Massinissa, Nakoah-Knox, Nimrod, Oputjo, Otter, Parnaj, Prokop, Quanders, Rascal, Rhue, Simanga, Somhairle, Torben, Trix, Uziah-Nova, Vakaris, Wrath, Xanthus, Yuveer, Zander-Blu, Zebedee

Here are possible explanations/associations for some of the above:

  • Diadem, a type of crown
  • Ischia, an island near Naples
  • Nymeria, a direwolf from Game of Thrones
  • Ribhinn, a Scottish-Gaelic word (rìbhinn) meaning “maiden, girl”
  • Tifa, a character from the Final Fantasy video games
  • Kallikrates, a 5th-century BC Greek architect
  • Masinissa, a 2nd-century BC Numidian king
  • Somhairle, a 12th-century Norse-Gaelic king

Finally, here are Scotland’s 2020 rankings, if you’d like to compare last year to the year before.

Sources: Babies’ First Names 2021 – National Records of Scotland, Trends in baby names 2021 (PDF)

Image: Adapted from Flag of the United Kingdom (public domain)

Name quotes #95: Caoimhe, Warren, Keith

double quotation mark

Some interesting thoughts on why only certain Irish names tend to be anglicized, from the Irish Arts Center:

“Caoimhe” has been consistently more popular than the anglicized spelling, “Keeva.” How did this happen when so many other Irish names appeared to make concessions to English spelling norms?

While Medb/Maeve, Sadhbh/Sive, Seán/Shawn and other names were popular at a time when the Irish language and pride in Irish identity was against the ropes, Caoimhe and Fiadh are names that rose in the ranks when Ireland was swaggering culturally and commercially. It was also a time when Irish language television and schools were making strides.

Caoimhe is one of the names given by parents to the first generation of daughters not expected to emigrate, who would grow up surrounded by people who would know that the “mh” sounds like a “v” in the middle or at the end of a word.

…And another quote from the same site that I just couldn’t leave out:

Teachers warning their students of the importance of a fada will often point out that without the accent, Orla (‘uhr-lah’) would mean “vomit” rather than “golden princess.” However, Órlas have to live with this indignity in an online world where many websites won’t accept non-standard characters.

[According to this letter to the Irish Times, the same holds true for the names Méabh and Síne, which, without the fadas, turn into the words meabh, “hen,” and sine, “nipple.”]

From a Telegraph essay by Warren Watson (b. 1950), who had a “surprise” twin brother named Wayne.

So, what happened to the name William? […] It was the traditional family name for a Watson male, going back at least four generations in England and Scotland.

Fairness was paramount for my mom, you see. […] If I were named William, it would not be fair to my twin brother. So, neither Watson would be honored with the family name.

In 1950, she dug out a baby name book, purchased earlier at the Rexall drug store downtown. “Warren” and “Wayne” sat there in the same column. So, “Warren” and “Wayne” they would be. In alphabetical order, of course.

From a Condé Nast Traveler article about hotels using artificial intelligence, including robots with interesting names:

Meanwhile, in Singapore, the M Social hotel is using a front-of-house robot called Aura to deliver small amenities like water, towels, and toiletries to rooms. Another robot, Ausca, cooks your eggs in the morning. Elsewhere in the city, Hotel Jen uses colorful butler robots named Jeno and Jena to perform guest services that include in-room dining delivery.

From a Daily Mail article about nominative determinism:

And now, a man called Keith Weed has been appointed president of the Royal Horticultural Society.

Of course he has. Especially when you hear that his father’s name was Weed and his mother’s name was Hedges.

‘If a Weed gets together with a Hedges, I think they’re going to give birth to the president of the RHS,’ said Mr Weed, 59, who lives near RHS Wisley in Surrey.

From the 1812 book A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels (Vol. 4), edited by Robert Kerr:

When the eldest son of Huana Capac was born, he ordered a prodigious chain or cable of gold to be made, so large and heavy that two hundred men were hardly able to lift it. In remembrance of this circumstance, the infant was named Huascar, which signifies a cable or large rope, as the Peruvians have no word in their language signifying a chain. To this name of Huascar was added the surname Inca, belonging to all their kings, just as Augustus was given to all the Roman emperors.

[The name Huascar was a one-hit wonder in the SSA data in 1997, incidentally.]