Orla (name)

For other uses, see Orla (disambiguation).

Orla (/ˈɔːrlə/ OR-lə) is an anglicisation of Órfhlaith, a feminine given name of Irish origin. The name is often interpreted as meaning "golden princess", as it is derived from the Irish words ór ("gold") and flaith (literally "prince"; its full feminine form being banfhlaith).^[1][2]

Orla

Pronunciation	/ˈɔːrlə/ OR-lə
Gender	Female (Irish) Male (Danish) Unisex (Norwegian, Finnish, German)
Origin
Meaning	Golden princess (Irish)
Region of origin	Ireland (feminine) Denmark (masculine)
Other names
Alternative spelling	Órla, Orlaith, Orlagh
Related names	Órlaith, Órfhlaith
Popularity	see popular names

Well known via association with Brian Boru, whose sister Órlaith íngen Cennétig (d. 941) was queen consort to the Irish High King Donnchad Donn, Órflaith (however spelled) was the fourth-most frequently recorded female name in the annals of 12th century Ireland; after a long period of obscurity, the name—in both the Órlaith and Órla forms—became popular in the late 20th century, not only in Ireland but also in Scotland, despite the name not having historical use in the region.^[3]

Orla is also a male given name in Danish and has been used as a unisex name in Norwegian, Finnish and German.

Orla is also a short form of the name Orsola, which is a variant of Ursula.

Significance of the Fada in "Órla"

In the Irish language, the presence of a fada (diacritic) is crucial, as it changes the pronunciation and meaning of a name. Órla, with a fada, is pronounced /ˈɔːrlə/ ("OR-lə") and retains its traditional and culturally significant meaning, while Orla, without a fada, is pronounced /ˈʌɹlə/ ("urlah") and can lead to misinterpretations and unintended meanings. The omission of fadas in names, especially in official records, has sparked discussions about linguistic accuracy and cultural representation.^[4][5]

Historical figures

• Órlaith íngen Cennétig, Queen of Ireland, died 941
• Órlaith Ní Maoil Seachnaill, Queen of Mide, died 1066
• Órlaith Nic Cennétich, died 1104. The ship LÉ Orla is named after her.^[6]
• Órlaith Ní Mael Sechlainn, Queen of Connacht, died 1115
• Órlaith Ní Diarmata, Princess of Moylurg, died 1252
• Órlaith Ní Conchobair, Princess of Connacht and Abbess, died 1283

Arts and media

• Orla Brady, Irish actress; her most notable and critically acclaimed work was the 1999 film A Love Divided
• Orlagh Cassidy, American actress
• Órla Fallon, Irish singer, songwriter, and harpist. She was a member of Celtic Woman from 2005 to 2009.
• Orla Fitzgerald, Irish actress
• Órfhlaith Flynn, former member of Anúna
• Orla Gartland, Irish singer
• Orla Guerin, Irish correspondent for BBC Africa
• Orla Hill, English actress
• Orla Kiely graduated from The National College of Art and Design in Dublin, and continued her education with a master's degree at the Royal College of Art in London. Her trademark leaf pattern used in her handbag design has become a highly recognisable international brand. Her collection now spans womenswear, accessories, wallpaper, homewares and stationery, plus a collection of notepaper for Tate Modern.
• Orlaith McAllister, Northern Irish glamour model and former Big Brother contestant
• Orla Ní Fhinneadha, Irish television presenter on TG4
• Orla O'Rourke, Irish actress
• Orla O'Shea, Irish singer
• Orlaith Rafter, Irish actor and writer
• Orla Tobin (Rose of Tralee), singer, winner of the 2003 Rose of Tralee contest
• Orla Wolf, German writer, artist and filmmaker

Sports

• Orla Barry, Irish discus thrower
• Orla Jørgensen, Danish male Olympic gold medalist in 1928
• Orla Noom, professional squash player from the Netherlands
• Orla O'Doherty, professional squash player from Ireland
• Orla Walsh, Irish track cyclist

Other

• Orla Hyllested, Danish union representative and politician
• Orla Lehmann, Danish statesman
• Orla Møller (1916–1979), Danish priest and politician
• Órlaithí Flynn, member of the Northern Ireland Assembly
• Orla, Italian organ maker
• Órfhlaith Begley, MP in the UK Parliament for West Tyrone

Fictional characters

• Orla McCool, from the sitcom Derry Girls
• Orla Healy, from the television drama Three Families
• Orla Sargent, from the young adult books The Raven Cycle
• Agent Orla, from the educational television series Odd Squad
• Orla, from the novel The Sopranos and its film adaptation Our Ladies
• Orla, male protagonist of the 19th century German emancipation drama Orla by Albert Dulk
• Orla, female supporting character from Pokémon Horizons: The Series

See also