Oran
Say it: OR-an
BoyIrishMeans little pale one4 letters2 syllables
#272
in Ireland (2025)
#210 with spellings combined
22
babies in 2025
#78
best rank (2005)
1,812
babies since 1969
Down 94
10-year rank change
Oran through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (boys) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 22 | #210 |
| 2024 | 21 | #216 |
| 2023 | 28 | #180 |
| 2022 | 41 | #147 |
| 2021 | 36 | #158 |
| 2020 | 52 | #120 |
| 2019 | 53 | #122 |
| 2018 | 51 | #127 |
| 2017 | 57 | #114 |
| 2016 | 54 | #123 |
| 2015 | 60 | #116 |
| 2014 | 76 | #100 |
| 2013 | 73 | #98 |
| 2012 | 97 | #83 |
| 2011 | 96 | #80 |
| 2010 | 99 | #78 |
| 2009 | 87 | #91 |
| 2008 | 93 | #86 |
| 2007 | 81 | #86 |
| 2006 | 64 | #97 |
| 2005 | 81 | #78 |
| 2004 | 67 | #88 |
| 2003 | 77 | #80 |
| 2002 | 55 | #94 |
| 2001 | 53 | #96 |
| 2000 | 27 | #139 |
| 1999 | 39 | #110 |
| 1998 | 27 | #130 |
| 1997 | 15 | #189 |
| 1996 | 12 | #200 |
| 1995 | 11 | #206 |
| 1994 | 5 | #263 |
| 1993 | 7 | #235 |
| 1992 | 3 | #337 |
| 1991 | 5 | #263 |
| 1990 | 5 | #256 |
| 1989 | 7 | #215 |
| 1988 | 4 | #271 |
| 1987 | 5 | #249 |
| 1986 | 3 | #317 |
| 1985 | 4 | #269 |
| 1984 | 4 | #274 |
| 1982 | 5 | #268 |
| 1981 | 3 | #322 |
| 1980 | 3 | #321 |
| 1978 | 4 | #283 |
| 1977 | 7 | #234 |
| 1976 | 4 | #288 |
| 1975 | 5 | #265 |
| 1974 | 8 | #227 |
| 1973 | 5 | #268 |
| 1972 | 3 | #307 |
| 1971 | 3 | #304 |
| 1969 | 5 | #246 |
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 Oran mean?
Little pale one
English form of Irish Odhrán, from odhar (dun, pale) with the small ending -án.
Say it right
ORan
The fuller Irish spelling Odhrán is said OH-rawn, as the "dh" is silent.
Not:OR-ANN
The story of Oran
Oran is a shorter English spelling of Odhrán, from the Old Irish Odrán. It is built on odhar, a word for a dull, pale brown or sallow colour, with the small ending -án, so it means something like “little pale one”. Some explain it instead as “little dark-haired one”.
It was the name of several early Irish saints. Tradition makes Odhrán of Iona one of the twelve who sailed with Colm Cille to Iona, and the old graveyard there, Reilig Odhráin, is named after him. Another Odhrán is remembered as a follower of Saint Patrick.
Oran first reached the CSO list in 1969 and stayed rare until the late 1990s. It climbed through the 2000s and peaked in 2010, with 99 boys, at number 78. The CSO counts Odhrán separately, while Oran, Óran and Orán are counted together here. In Northern Ireland it did even better, reaching number 49 in 2000.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Oran (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Odhrán
- Wikipedia: Oran of Iona
- CSO VSA50, Boys Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Oran | 16 | 1,759 |
| Óran | 6 | 42 |
| Orán | under 3 | 11 |
In Northern Ireland
#185 in 2025 with 11 babies. Best rank #49 (2000); 833 babies since 1997.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.