Leighlan
An Anglicized form of the Irish name Lachlan, from Gaelic "lochlann" meaning "land of lakes".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Leighlan. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Leighlan today is around 17 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Leighlan births was 2009 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Leighlan. 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 Leighlan with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Leighlan. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2009
5 babies that year
Average age
17
years old
2009 SSA rank
#13,671
Tracked since 2009
Popularity
Leighlan: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Leighlan 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 Leighlan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Leighlan
The name Leighlan is a variant spelling of the Irish name Lochlainn, which is derived from the Old Norse name Lochlann. Lochlann was the name used by the Norse to refer to the territory that encompassed parts of modern-day Ireland, Scotland, and Norway. The name is believed to have originated during the Viking Age, which spanned from the late 8th century to the late 11th century.
The name Lochlainn can be traced back to the Old Norse words "loch" meaning "lake" and "lann" meaning "land." Together, they form the word "Lochlann," which translates to "land of lakes," referring to the many lakes and waterways that were found in the region. The name was likely adopted by the Vikings who settled in these areas and interacted with the local Celtic populations.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lochlainn can be found in the Annals of Ulster, an ancient Irish chronicle that dates back to the 15th century. The Annals mention a figure named Lochlainn Ó Máille, who was a prominent leader in the Irish province of Connacht during the 12th century.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Leighlan or its variants. One such person was Leighlin O'Brien (1165-1236), an Irish prince and Bishop of Killaloe in County Clare, Ireland. Another was Loughlin Bán (1625-1680), an Irish harpist and composer from County Sligo, renowned for his contributions to traditional Irish music.
In the 18th century, there was Lochlan MacQuarie (1762-1824), a British military officer and colonial administrator who served as the last autocratic Governor of New South Wales in Australia. In the 19th century, Loughlin McGovern (1841-1918) was an Irish-American politician and businessman from New York City.
More recently, in the 20th century, Loughlin Lawrence (1914-2005) was an American actor and comedian, best known for his role as the Hooterville handyman in the 1960s sitcom Petticoat Junction. These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the name Leighlan or its variants throughout history, reflecting its rich cultural heritage and enduring legacy.
People
Leighlan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Leighlan 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
Leighlan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Leighlan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Leighlan 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 Leighlan a common name?
We classify Leighlan 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 Leighlan most popular?
The single biggest year for Leighlan was 2009, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Leighlan is about 17 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 Leighlan in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Leighlan a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Leighlan 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 Leighlan still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Leighlan 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 Leighlan 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 Leighlan?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.