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