Lachlyn
A modern Gaelic masculine name of Scottish origins meaning "lake".
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the first name Lachlyn. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Lachlyn today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lachlyn births was 2015 (20 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lachlyn. 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.
People living today
117
~ 1 in 2,929,524 Americans
Peak year
2015
20 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2024 SSA rank
#14,406
Tracked since 2011
Popularity
Lachlyn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Lachlyn from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 91 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lachlyn 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 Lachlyn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Lachlyn
The name Lachlyn has its origins in Scotland, derived from the Scottish Gaelic name "Lachlann" or "Lachlan." This name is thought to be a combination of the elements "lach," meaning "lake," and "lann," meaning "land" or "territory." Thus, the name Lachlyn likely referred to someone who lived near a lake or by a body of water.
The earliest recorded use of the name Lachlyn dates back to the 12th century, when it was mentioned in Scottish historical records and manuscripts. It is believed that the name was initially used by clans and families residing in the Highlands of Scotland, particularly in the regions around Argyll and the Hebrides islands.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Lachlyn was Lachlan Mor, a Scottish chief who lived in the 13th century. He was a prominent figure in the Clan Maclean, a powerful clan in the Hebrides islands. Lachlan Mor is often credited with establishing the clan's stronghold on the island of Mull.
In the 16th century, Lachlyn MacLean of Duart, a chief of the Clan Maclean, played a significant role in the Scottish Reformation. He was a supporter of the Protestant movement and helped to establish the Presbyterian Church in Scotland.
Another notable figure with the name Lachlyn was Lachlan Macquarie, a British military officer and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of New South Wales, Australia, from 1810 to 1821. He was instrumental in shaping the early development of the colony and is remembered for his progressive policies and infrastructure projects.
In the 19th century, Lachlan Mackintosh was a Scottish explorer and fur trader who was involved in the early exploration of western Canada. He played a significant role in the expansion of the North West Company, a fur trading business that operated in the Canadian Northwest.
While the name Lachlyn has its roots in Scotland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through Scottish immigration and cultural influence. However, its origins and historical ties to the Scottish Highlands and the Gaelic language remain strong and deeply embedded in its meaning and significance.
People
Lachlyn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lachlyn 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
Lachlyn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lachlyn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 117 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lachlyn 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 2,929,524 US residents.
Is Lachlyn a common name?
We classify Lachlyn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 66.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 118 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lachlyn most popular?
The single biggest year for Lachlyn was 2015, when 20 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lachlyn is about 9 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Lachlyn in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Lachlyn a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Lachlyn in the SSA data are female. 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.
Is Lachlyn still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Lachlyn in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Lachlyn can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Lachlyn?
See how many people have the name Lachlyn on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.