NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Orlagh

A feminine name of Irish Gaelic origin meaning "golden princess".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Orlagh is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Orlagh popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1160, with 29 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2022, with 54 births.

This profile covers 608 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 54% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 1,244 living people in the UK are called Orlagh. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Orlagh ranked #1160 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 29 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2022, when 54 girls were registered as Orlagh.
  • Orlagh ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #176 in 2024.
  • About 1,244 living people in the UK are estimated to have Orlagh as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#1160

2024

Births in 2024

29

Latest year

Peak year

2022

54 births

Estimated living

1,244

2026

Meaning

What does Orlagh mean?

The name Orlagh derives from the Irish Gaelic language and has its origins dating back to the 5th century AD, during the early medieval period in Ireland. It is believed to be derived from the Old Irish words 'or', meaning golden, and 'flaith', which translates to sovereignty or princess. The name essentially means 'golden princess' or 'princess of the golden hair'.

Despite its ancient roots, the name Orlagh does not appear to have been widely documented in historical texts or religious scriptures from that era. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 10th century, during the Viking era in Ireland. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Orlagh Ní Mhaonaigh, a noble woman who lived in the late 10th century and was renowned for her beauty and intelligence.

In the 12th century, an Irish noblewoman named Orlagh Ní Bhriain was mentioned in the Annals of Inisfallen, a medieval Irish chronicle. She was the daughter of Muirchertach Ua Briain, the King of Munster, and is said to have played a significant role in the politics of the region during her lifetime.

Another notable historical figure with the name Orlagh was Orlagh Ní Chearbhaill, a 14th-century Irish poet and composer. She was known for her beautiful melodies and lyrical compositions, which have been preserved and passed down through generations.

In the 16th century, Orlagh Ní Dhomhnaill was a prominent Irish chieftain who ruled over the Clann Domhnaill, a powerful Irish clan. She was renowned for her leadership skills and her defiance against English rule in Ireland.

A more recent historical figure with the name Orlagh was Orlagh Cassidy, an Irish-American actress born in 1968. She is best known for her voice work in various animated series and video games, including her role as the voice of Lady Tottington in the Wallace & Gromit films.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Orlagh over time

The chart below shows babies named Orlagh registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Orlagh, the clearest high point is 2022. The latest England and Wales figure is 29 births in 2024, compared with 54 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Orlagh
014274154199620102024

Decades

Orlagh by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Orlagh was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #947 190 5
2010s #1421 252 10
2000s #1788 124 10
1990s #1822 42 4

Geography

Where Orlagh is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Orlagh. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Orlagh ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #176 in 2024.

Scotland
23
Northern Ireland
3

Across the UK

Orlagh in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#176 in 2024

22 years of NRS records, 370 total registered

Northern Ireland (NISRA)

#407 in 2024

28 years of NISRA records, 272 total registered

Related

Names similar to Orlagh

FAQ

Orlagh: questions and answers

How popular is the name Orlagh in the UK right now?

In 2024, Orlagh was ranked #1160 for girls in England and Wales, with 29 births registered.

When was Orlagh most popular?

The peak year on record was 2022, with 54 babies registered as Orlagh in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Orlagh?

A feminine name of Irish Gaelic origin meaning "golden princess".

How many people are called Orlagh in the UK?

A total of 608 babies have been registered as Orlagh across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 370 more in Scotland and 272 in Northern Ireland.

Where is Orlagh most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Orlagh ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #176 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.