Odhrán
Say it: OH-rawn/ˈoːɾˠɑːnˠ/
BoyIrishMeans little dun-coloured one6 letters2 syllables
#93
in Ireland (2025)
#50 with spellings combined
110
babies in 2025
#36
best rank (2020)
2,649
babies since 1971
Up 19
10-year rank change
Odhrán through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (boys) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 110 | #50 |
| 2024 | 143 | #39 |
| 2023 | 125 | #48 |
| 2022 | 132 | #50 |
| 2021 | 145 | #47 |
| 2020 | 155 | #36 |
| 2019 | 149 | #46 |
| 2018 | 103 | #65 |
| 2017 | 111 | #64 |
| 2016 | 128 | #58 |
| 2015 | 113 | #69 |
| 2014 | 124 | #66 |
| 2013 | 111 | #72 |
| 2012 | 98 | #82 |
| 2011 | 89 | #88 |
| 2010 | 100 | #75 |
| 2009 | 98 | #82 |
| 2008 | 88 | #89 |
| 2007 | 69 | #104 |
| 2006 | 58 | #109 |
| 2005 | 55 | #104 |
| 2004 | 59 | #100 |
| 2003 | 28 | #147 |
| 2002 | 24 | #159 |
| 2001 | 37 | #120 |
| 2000 | 27 | #139 |
| 1999 | 15 | #180 |
| 1998 | 15 | #168 |
| 1997 | 17 | #174 |
| 1996 | 18 | #169 |
| 1995 | 13 | #191 |
| 1994 | 11 | #192 |
| 1993 | 4 | #302 |
| 1992 | 8 | #222 |
| 1991 | 6 | #242 |
| 1990 | 3 | #323 |
| 1988 | 4 | #271 |
| 1987 | 4 | #272 |
| 1986 | 3 | #317 |
| 1985 | 5 | #250 |
| 1984 | 4 | #274 |
| 1983 | 4 | #282 |
| 1981 | 5 | #260 |
| 1980 | 7 | #241 |
| 1979 | 6 | #257 |
| 1977 | 3 | #333 |
| 1976 | 5 | #258 |
| 1973 | 5 | #268 |
| 1971 | 5 | #257 |
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 Odhrán mean?
Little dun-coloured one
Irish, from odhar (dun, a dull greyish-brown) with the small ending -án.
Say it right
OHrawn
The dh is silent. In Munster the stress often moves to the end, closer to ow-RAWN, and in Ulster the second vowel is shorter, OH-ran.
Not:ODD-ranOD-rawn
The story of Odhrán
Odhrán comes from the Old Irish Odrán, built on odar, now odhar, a word for a dun or dull brownish colour, with the small ending -án. The same root gives the surname Ó hOdhráin, usually written Horan in English. Other English spellings of the first name include Oran and Orin.
Two early saints carried the name. One was Saint Patrick’s charioteer, remembered in tradition as the first Christian martyr in Ireland. Another was a companion of Colm Cille on Iona, said to be the first Christian buried on the island.
The CSO counts Odhrán, Odhran and Ódhran separately, and before 2018 it recorded no fadas at all. Added together, the spellings had their best year in 2020 with 155 babies, when the name was number 36. The spelling Odhrán on its own was 81st that year. In Northern Ireland its best was 35th in 2022.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Odhrán (Irish proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Odhrán
- Wikipedia: Odran (disciple of Saint Patrick)
- Wikipedia: Oran of Iona
- CSO VSA50, Boys Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, Baby names in Northern Ireland
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Odhrán | 63 | 526 |
| Odhran | 42 | 2,061 |
| Ódhran | 5 | 62 |
In Northern Ireland
#55 in 2025 with 39 babies. Best rank #35 (2022); 1,665 babies since 1997.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.