Isla vs Orla
Isla and Orlacompared 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.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Isla was ranked #2 and Orla #19 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Isla was ranked #4 and Orla #58 among girls in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Isla was ranked #8 and Orla #144 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Isla was ranked #13 and Orla #189 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Isla and Orla over time
Isla and Orla appear together in 4 published lists, across 99 years of shared records. Isla held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Orla in 0.
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.
Orla reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Isla in 1. 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2009, Isla moved ahead of Orla in Northern Ireland · Girls — #95 and #65 the year before became #65 and #73.
- Longest-running competitions
Isla and Orla were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 38 years, from 1996 to 2024, ending at #4 and #58.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Scotland · Girls within 2 years — Isla #2 in 2024, Orla #19 in 2024.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls38 shared years, 1996–2024
Isla held the stronger position in 35 of those years, Orla in 3.
Highest recorded here: Isla #3 in 2014, Orla #56 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Isla #4, Orla #58.
Republic of Ireland · Girls24 shared years, 1979–2025
Isla held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Orla in 11.
Highest recorded here: Isla #11 in 2023, Orla #22 in 1980.
The order changed in 2013: Isla moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #129 and #82; by 2013 that had become #101 and #116.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Isla #13, Orla #189.
Northern Ireland · Girls21 shared years, 2004–2024
Isla held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Orla in 5.
Highest recorded here: Isla #1 in 2023, Orla #49 in 2004.
The order changed in 2009: Isla moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #95 and #65; by 2009 that had become #65 and #73.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Isla #8, Orla #144.
Scotland · Girls16 shared years, 2024–2024
Isla held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Orla in 0.
Highest recorded here: Isla #2 in 2024, Orla #19 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Isla #2, Orla #19.
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 | Isla | Orla |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | A Scottish place name; not generally treated as having a separate lexical 'meaning' beyond the river/place it names. | The Anglicized form of Órlaith, combining Irish 'ór' (gold) with 'flaith' (sovereignty, royalty) — traditionally read as 'golden princess' or 'golden sovereignty'. |
| Origin | Scottish | Irish |
| Pronunciation | /ˈaɪlə/ | /ˈɔɹ.lə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Islay | Órlaith, Orlagh, Órfhlaith |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #4 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #189 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | high |
What the data shows
- Isla is recorded with a Scottish origin, while Orla is recorded with a Irish origin.
- Isla and Orla both have 2 syllables.
- Isla's recorded meaning differs from Orla's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Isla
Popularity journey
First recorded1979
First recorded at #467 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1979 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded2008–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2023 (recorded 2008–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #4 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Orla
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #52 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
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #189 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls