Lachlan
A masculine given name of Scottish origin meaning "from the fjord-land".
Name Census estimates that about 5,866 living Americans carry the first name Lachlan. It is a predominantly male name (95.3% of registrations). The average person named Lachlan today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lachlan births was 2024 (401 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lachlan. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Although Lachlan is used almost entirely for boys, the SSA data does show 281 girls registered with the name since 1880.
- • Lachlan is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 11 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
5.9K
~ 1 in 58,431 Americans
Peak year
2024
401 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2024 SSA rank
#691
Tracked since 1952
Gender
Gender distribution for Lachlan
Lachlan leans heavily male at 95.3% of total registrations, but 281 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Lachlan as a male name
- Ranked #691 in 2024
- 389 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (389 births)
Lachlan as a female name
- Ranked #8,692 in 2024
- 12 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2020 (23 births)
Popularity
Lachlan: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Lachlan from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 2,840 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Lachlan remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lachlan by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Lachlan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Lachlans live
The SSA's state-level files cover 40 states and territories. California, New York, Washington recorded the most babies named Lachlan, while New Mexico, Maine, Alabama recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 104 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Lachlan
The name Lachlan is a Scottish Gaelic name derived from the old Gaelic word "lachan," meaning "lake." It is believed to have originated in the region of Argyll in western Scotland, where many lochs or lakes are present. The name was likely initially used to describe someone who lived near a lake or was associated with a particular body of water.
During the Middle Ages, the name Lachlan appeared in various Scottish historical records and documents. One of the earliest recorded instances was Lachlan Mor, who was a 13th-century Scottish warrior and chieftain of the Clan MacLachlan. He played a significant role in defending Scotland against the Norse invaders and is celebrated in Scottish folklore.
In the 16th century, Lachlan Macintosh, born around 1520, was a notable figure who served as the 16th Chief of Clan Mackintosh. He was known for his involvement in the battles of the Scottish Reformation and his efforts to protect the interests of his clan.
Another noteworthy bearer of the name was Lachlan Macquarie, born in 1762, who was a British colonial administrator and served as the Governor of New South Wales from 1810 to 1821. He played a crucial role in the development of Sydney and is credited with shaping the infrastructure and governance of the colony during his tenure.
In the 19th century, Lachlan McLean, born in 1798, was a Scottish-Canadian explorer and fur trader who worked for the Hudson's Bay Company. He is remembered for his expeditions in what is now western Canada and his contributions to the exploration of the Pacific Northwest region.
More recently, Lachlan Murdoch, born in 1971, is a prominent Australian-American businessman and media executive. He is the co-chairman and CEO of the media conglomerate News Corp, founded by his father, Rupert Murdoch, and has played a significant role in the company's global operations.
While the name Lachlan has Scottish origins, it has gained popularity in various parts of the world, particularly in Australia, New Zealand, and North America, where it is often associated with Scottish heritage and traditions.
People
Lachlan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lachlan as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with L
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Lachlan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lachlan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5,866 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lachlan going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 58,431 US residents.
Is Lachlan a common name?
We classify Lachlan as "Rare". It ranks above 96.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5,921 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lachlan most popular?
The single biggest year for Lachlan was 2024, when 401 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lachlan is about 11 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Lachlan a male name?
Yes, 95.3% of people registered as Lachlan in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.