Orla sits comfortably in the UK charts at #58 in 2024 — recognisable but not overwhelming. Your child may occasionally share their name.
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UK Rank 2024
#58
About the Name Orla
Orla is holding steady in the rankings at #58. It reached its peak of #56 in 2023 and has maintained consistent levels since — the hallmark of a name with lasting rather than trend-driven appeal. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996. It has broken into the UK top 100 on 8 occasions, signalling genuine mainstream interest.
Orla is distinctive enough that your child will likely be the only one in both their class and their school — standing out on every register.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Orla
Unlikely. With around 746 UK babies named Orla per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Orla in her class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Orla has held a stable position around #58 for several years. It reached its recorded peak of #56 in 2023 and has maintained consistent levels since — suggesting lasting rather than trend-driven appeal.
Orla is a distinctive choice sitting outside the mainstream UK top names. Parents choosing less common names often find their children appreciate the individuality as they grow up, rarely needing to add an initial to distinguish themselves.
Notable people named Orla include: Orla Comerford — Orla Comerford is an Irish Paralympic athlete who competes in sprinting events at the international level.; Orla O'Dwyer — Orla O'Dwyer is an Irish Australian rules footballer who plays for the Brisbane in the AFL Women's competition (AFLW).; Orla Kiely — Orla Kiely, OBE is an Irish fashion designer based in London..
Orla does not appear in the US top 1,000 baby names, making it a distinctively British choice — your child is unlikely to encounter American Orlas in the wild.
746
UK babies named Orla (2024)
~0.0
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.4
In a school of 600
↑ 14 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Orla
Likely around 1 other Orla in the class
UK Popularity (1996–2024)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
No US data available for this name
✨ Similar names to Orla
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Orla Comerford is an Irish Paralympic athlete who competes in sprinting events at the international level. She has Stargardt's disease, which is an inherited retinal disease.
Orla Kiely, OBE is an Irish fashion designer based in London. She began her career designing hats, and moved on to design work on handbags and a variety of other items including kitchenware and cars.
Orla Lynskey is an Irish academic in the areas of information privacy, data protection and information technology law, who is currently Chair of Law and Technology at the Faculty of Laws, University College London.
Orla Østerby is a Danish politician, who is a member of the Folketing. He was elected in the 2019 Danish general election as a member of Conservative People's Party.
Orla Feely is an Irish academic and professor of electronic engineering. As of 2024, she is the president of University College Dublin (UCD), having previously served as Vice-President for Research, Innovation and Impact.
Orla is an English Cocker Spaniel owned by William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales. She has appeared in several official photographs released by the Wales family and is known to be the family's current pet.