Grainne vs Orlagh
Grainne and Orlaghcompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Grainne was ranked #407 and Orlagh #407 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2022, Grainne was ranked #5669 and Orlagh #683 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2018, Grainne was ranked #896 and Orlagh #734 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Grainne and Orlagh over time
Grainne and Orlagh appear together in 3 published lists, across 97 years of shared records. Grainne held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Orlagh in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Grainne reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Orlagh in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Grainne and Orlagh changed places 15 times in Northern Ireland · Girls between 1997 and 2024, ending at #407 and #407.
- Longest-running competitions
Grainne and Orlagh were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 50 years, from 1964 to 2018, ending at #896 and #734.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Grainne #60 in 1998, Orlagh #89 in 2000.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls50 shared years, 1964–2018
Grainne held the stronger position in 49 of those years, Orlagh in 1.
Highest recorded here: Grainne #37 in 1989, Orlagh #178 in 1996.
The order changed in 2018: Orlagh moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #254 and #585; by 2018 that had become #896 and #734.
Most recent shared year, 2018: Grainne #896, Orlagh #734.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Grainne held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Orlagh in 11.
Highest recorded here: Grainne #60 in 1998, Orlagh #89 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Grainne #407, Orlagh #407.
England and Wales · Girls19 shared years, 1996–2022
Grainne held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Orlagh in 16.
Highest recorded here: Grainne #1234 in 1997, Orlagh #683 in 2022.
The order changed in 1999: Orlagh moved ahead. In 1998 they stood at #1319 and #1697; by 1999 that had become #1557 and #1107.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Grainne #5669, Orlagh #683.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Grainne | Orlagh |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Northern Ireland · Girls #407 (2024) | England and Wales · Girls #1166 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 80/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Grainne and Orlagh both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Grainne
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #62 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2018
Highest recorded position: #37 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1989 (recorded 1964–2018).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #407 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2024.
Northern Ireland · Girls
Orlagh
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #274 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #89 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2000 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1166 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls