Orlaith: Meaning, Pronunciation and Origin
Orlaith is an Irish girl's name meaning “golden princess.” Here’s how to say it, where it comes from, and names that go well with it.
Updated September 2026
- Irish spelling
- Órlaith
- Meaning
- Golden princess
- Gender
- Girl
- English forms
- Orla
- Popularity in Ireland
- No. 325 for girls (2025)
How do you pronounce Orlaith?
Orlaith is pronounced OR-la. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first. Other spellings: Orlagh.
What does Orlaith mean?
Orlaith comes from the Irish Órlaith (older Órfhlaith), from ór “gold” and flaith “ruler, prince,” which is read as “princess” in women’s names, so “golden princess.” Patrick Woulfe’s Irish Names and Surnames (1923) glosses it as “the golden lady.” Orla and Orlagh are the anglicized forms.
It is an old royal name. Brian Boru’s sister Órlaith, daughter of Cennétig, was queen to the High King Donnchad Donn and was killed in 941, and later queens of Mide and Connacht bore it too. In the 12th century it was among the women’s names most often recorded in the Irish annals. After a long decline it came back into use in the late 20th century.
Sources: Behind the Name, Wikipedia, Woulfe, Irish Names and Surnames (1923).
How popular is Orlaith in Ireland?
In 2025, 12 baby girls in Ireland were named Órlaith, which made it No. 325 that year. Another 11 were registered as Orlaith. That's down from No. 104 ten years earlier. It was most popular in 2006, when 83 baby girls were named Orlaith, No. 73 that year. The most babies got the name in 2007: 85. It first appears in the records in 1965, with 3 baby girls.
See the numbers by year
| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 23 | No. 325 (Órlaith) |
| 2024 | 24 | No. 294 (Órlaith) |
| 2023 | 32 | No. 212 (Orlaith) |
| 2022 | 26 | No. 304 (Orlaith) |
| 2021 | 24 | No. 299 (Orlaith) |
| 2020 | 25 | No. 229 (Orlaith) |
| 2019 | 25 | No. 271 (Orlaith) |
| 2018 | 39 | No. 218 (Orlaith) |
| 2017 | 39 | No. 145 (Orlaith) |
| 2016 | 42 | No. 140 (Orlaith) |
| 2015 | 60 | No. 104 (Orlaith) |
| 2014 | 47 | No. 127 (Orlaith) |
| 2013 | 50 | No. 122 (Orlaith) |
| 2012 | 61 | No. 108 (Orlaith) |
| 2011 | 62 | No. 105 (Orlaith) |
| 2010 | 76 | No. 92 (Orlaith) |
| 2009 | 77 | No. 91 (Orlaith) |
| 2008 | 73 | No. 92 (Orlaith) |
| 2007 | 85 | No. 75 (Orlaith) |
| 2006 | 83 | No. 73 (Orlaith) |
| 2005 | 72 | No. 78 (Orlaith) |
| 2004 | 66 | No. 83 (Orlaith) |
| 2003 | 50 | No. 103 (Orlaith) |
| 2002 | 31 | No. 141 (Orlaith) |
| 2001 | 29 | No. 142 (Orlaith) |
| 2000 | 44 | No. 98 (Orlaith) |
| 1999 | 27 | No. 140 (Orlaith) |
| 1998 | 35 | No. 107 (Orlaith) |
| 1997 | 57 | No. 94 (Orlaith) |
| 1996 | 41 | No. 129 (Orlaith) |
| 1995 | 43 | No. 119 (Orlaith) |
| 1994 | 57 | No. 102 (Orlaith) |
| 1993 | 58 | No. 97 (Orlaith) |
| 1992 | 23 | No. 188 (Orlaith) |
| 1991 | 24 | No. 180 (Orlaith) |
| 1990 | 30 | No. 163 (Orlaith) |
| 1989 | 22 | No. 192 (Orlaith) |
| 1988 | 32 | No. 157 (Orlaith) |
| 1987 | 24 | No. 198 (Orlaith) |
| 1986 | 31 | No. 172 (Orlaith) |
| 1985 | 25 | No. 197 (Orlaith) |
| 1984 | 23 | No. 213 (Orlaith) |
| 1983 | 26 | No. 195 (Orlaith) |
| 1982 | 19 | No. 241 (Orlaith) |
| 1981 | 15 | No. 263 (Orlaith) |
| 1980 | 19 | No. 239 (Orlaith) |
| 1979 | 9 | No. 330 (Orlaith) |
| 1978 | 6 | No. 388 (Orlaith) |
| 1977 | 15 | No. 254 (Orlaith) |
| 1976 | 8 | No. 329 (Orlaith) |
| 1975 | 15 | No. 243 (Orlaith) |
| 1974 | 5 | No. 393 (Orlaith) |
| 1973 | 12 | No. 282 (Orlaith) |
| 1972 | 20 | No. 213 (Orlaith) |
| 1971 | 8 | No. 303 (Orlaith) |
| 1970 | 6 | No. 326 (Orlaith) |
| 1969 | 4 | No. 393 (Orlaith) |
| 1968 | 5 | No. 327 (Orlaith) |
| 1965 | 3 | No. 385 (Orlaith) |
Orlaith in Ogham
Ogham is the oldest way of writing Irish. It was carved along the edges of standing stones, mostly between the 4th and 6th centuries, and read from the bottom up. In later tradition each letter was named after a tree or plant. Here’s Orlaith, letter by letter.
- OOnn, gorse
- RRuis, elder
- LLuis, rowan
- AAilm, pine
- IIodhadh, yew
- TTinne, holly
- HUath, hawthorn
Write any name in Ogham with our Ogham translator
Names that go with Orlaith
Questions about Orlaith
- How do you pronounce Orlaith?
- Orlaith is pronounced OR-la. Two syllables, stress on the first. There's a short video above where you can hear it said.
- What does Orlaith mean?
- Orlaith means “golden princess.”
- Is Orlaith a girl's name or a boy's name?
- Orlaith is a girl's name.
- How do you spell Orlaith in Irish?
- In Irish it's spelled Órlaith. That's the spelling most parents in Ireland now register, according to the Central Statistics Office.
- What is Orlaith in English?
- The English form of Orlaith is Orla.
- How popular is Orlaith in Ireland?
- In 2025, Órlaith was No. 325 for girls in Ireland, with 12 babies, according to the Central Statistics Office. It was most popular in 2006, at No. 73.