Fódhla
Say it: FOH-la/ˈfˠoːl̪ˠə/
GirlIrishMythologyMeans a goddess of Ireland, and a poetic name for Ireland itself6 letters2 syllables
#166
in Ireland (2025)
#168 with spellings combined
28
babies in 2025
#168
best rank (2025)
119
babies since 2005
Up 727
10-year rank change
Fódhla through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (girls) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 28 | #168 |
| 2024 | 22 | #200 |
| 2023 | 14 | #279 |
| 2022 | 4 | #730 |
| 2021 | 8 | #460 |
| 2020 | 8 | #437 |
| 2018 | 7 | #504 |
| 2016 | 7 | #518 |
| 2015 | 3 | #895 |
| 2014 | 4 | #752 |
| 2009 | 3 | #890 |
| 2007 | 4 | #704 |
| 2006 | 4 | #634 |
| 2005 | 3 | #690 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0. Spellings with and without fadas are combined; the CSO only recorded fadas from 2018.
★ What does Fódhla mean?
A goddess of Ireland, and a poetic name for Ireland itself
Irish, from Middle Irish Fódla, probably built on Old Irish fót (sod, land).
Say it right
FOHla
The "dh" is silent, and the "ó" is a long "oh".
Not:FOD-laFOHD-la
The story of Fódhla
In Irish mythology Fódla is one of the goddesses of Ireland, a daughter of Delbáeth and Ernmas of the Tuatha Dé Danann. Her name is thought to come from Old Irish fót, meaning sod or land, which suits a goddess of the land. A medieval writer in the Book of Leinster offered a more fanciful explanation, but the link with fót is the usual one.
She is one of three sisters, with Ériu and Banba. When the Milesians came to Ireland, each sister asked that the island be named after her. Ériu’s name became Éire, but Fódla and Banba lived on as poetic names for Ireland.
As a baby name Fódhla is rare but growing. It had its best year yet in 2025, with 28 girls and a combined rank of number 168. The CSO counts Fódhla and Fodhla separately. It is doing even better in Northern Ireland, where 20 girls were given it in 2025, putting it at number 106.
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Sources
- Wiktionary: Fódhla (Irish proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Fódla
- CSO VSA60, Girls Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, First Forenames Given to Babies Registered in Northern Ireland
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Fódhla | 28 | 91 |
| Fodhla | under 3 | 28 |
In Northern Ireland
#106 in 2025 with 20 babies. Best rank #106 (2025); 57 babies since 2019.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.