| Niamh | Orla | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Bright, radiant | golden princess |
| Origin | Irish | irish |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | NEEV | OR-lah |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1969 | 1892 |
| Peak year | 2008 (74) | 2024 (71) |
| In 2025 | 43 | 70 |
| Trend | Declining | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Niamh | Orla |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 232 | 357 |
| 2010s | 447 | 273 |
| 2000s | 636 | 179 |
| 1990s | 267 | 56 |
| 1980s | 30 | 0 |
| 1960s | 5 | 16 |
| 1950s | 0 | 20 |
| 1940s | 0 | 26 |
| 1930s | 0 | 59 |
| 1920s | 0 | 120 |
| 1910s | 0 | 71 |
| 1900s | 0 | 5 |
| 1890s | 0 | 17 |
Niamh means “bright” or “radiant.” Niamh of the Golden Hair rides to the Otherworld in Irish myth.
Anglicised from Irish Orlaith/Órlaith, combining 'ór' (gold) with 'flaith' (princess, sovereign) — literally 'golden princess'. The 'ór' element is a genuine word for gold.
Orla is more popular than Niamh today: about 70 US babies were given the name Orla in 2025, compared with 43 named Niamh.
Niamh means Bright, radiant (Irish origin), while Orla means golden princess (irish origin).
In US records, Niamh first appears in 1969 and Orla in 1892, so Orla has the longer recorded history.