Lauchlan
A Scottish Gaelic male name derived from the nickname for Lawrence.
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Lauchlan. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Lauchlan today is around 4 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lauchlan births was 2022 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lauchlan. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Lauchlan with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Lauchlan. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2022
5 babies that year
Average age
4
years old
2022 SSA rank
#13,511
Tracked since 2022
Popularity
Lauchlan: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Lauchlan 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 Lauchlan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Lauchlan
The name Lauchlan has its origins in the Scottish Gaelic language and culture, tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name Lachlan, which itself is a combination of the elements "loch" meaning "lake" and "lamh" meaning "hand" or "arm." The name is believed to have originated in the Scottish Highlands, where it was common among clan members.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lauchlan can be found in the 14th century, when a certain Lauchlan MacLachlan was mentioned in the Ragman Rolls of 1296. These rolls were a collection of instruments of homage and fealty to Edward I of England, signed by Scottish nobles and clergy after the Scottish Wars of Independence.
In the 15th century, a notable figure bearing the name Lauchlan was Lauchlan Mackintosh, who served as the 16th Chief of Clan Mackintosh from 1457 to 1499. He played a significant role in the clan's conflicts with the Earl of Huntly during that period.
Moving into the 16th century, one of the most famous individuals with the name Lauchlan was Lauchlan Macintosh, a Scottish Catholic priest and martyr. Born around 1500, he was executed in 1540 for refusing to acknowledge the religious supremacy of King Henry VIII of England.
In the 17th century, Lauchlan Mackinnon, a Scottish writer and historian, gained recognition for his work "A Description of the Isles of Scotland," published in 1688. This work provided valuable insights into the geography, history, and culture of the Scottish islands.
Another notable figure from the 18th century was Lauchlan Shaw, a Scottish botanist and naturalist. Born in 1692, he made significant contributions to the study of plant life in his native Scotland and is remembered for his work "A Tour in the Isles of Orkney and Shetland," published in 1788.
While the name Lauchlan has its roots in Scottish Gaelic culture, it has been adopted and adapted in various contexts throughout history. The name's unique and distinctive character has contributed to its enduring appeal, and it continues to be used, albeit less commonly, in modern times.
People
Lauchlan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lauchlan 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
Lauchlan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lauchlan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lauchlan 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Lauchlan a common name?
We classify Lauchlan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lauchlan most popular?
The single biggest year for Lauchlan was 2022, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lauchlan is about 4 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 Lauchlan in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Lauchlan a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Lauchlan 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.
Is Lauchlan still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Lauchlan 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 Lauchlan 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 share the name Lauchlan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.