Lochlann
An Irish masculine name meaning "land of lakes".
Name Census estimates that about 405 living Americans carry the first name Lochlann. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Lochlann today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lochlann births was 2019 (40 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lochlann. 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 Lochlann with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
405
~ 1 in 846,307 Americans
Peak year
2019
40 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,485
Tracked since 1999
Popularity
Lochlann: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Lochlann from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 212 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Lochlann remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lochlann 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 Lochlann during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Lochlanns live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. Virginia, Washington, Pennsylvania recorded the most babies named Lochlann, while Pennsylvania, Washington, Virginia recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 6 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Lochlann
The name Lochlann is derived from the Old Irish language and has its origins in the Gaelic cultures of Ireland and Scotland. It is believed to have emerged around the 9th or 10th century CE. The name is thought to be a combination of the Gaelic words "loch" meaning lake or sea inlet, and "lann" meaning an enclosure or land.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lochlann can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In this text, written in the 15th century, the name is used to refer to the Norse or Viking people who frequently raided and settled in coastal areas of Ireland during the Middle Ages.
The name Lochlann is also mentioned in several ancient Irish literary works, such as the Lebor Gabála Érenn (The Book of Invasions), which details the mythological and historical origins of the Irish people. In this text, Lochlann is portrayed as a distant land associated with the Vikings or Norsemen.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Lochlann. One of the earliest was Lochlann mac Máele Petair (born circa 950 CE), an Irish king who ruled the Kingdom of Ailech in what is now County Donegal, Ireland. Another was Lochlann Ó Dálaigh (1245-1340), an Irish poet and historian who composed works in both Irish and Latin.
In the 14th century, Lochlann Mac an Airchinnigh (1330-1395) was a prominent Irish scholar and churchman who served as the Archbishop of Cashel. A century later, Lochlann Ó Dálaigh (1450-1520) was a renowned Irish poet and member of the Bardic Order.
In more recent times, Lochlann Dickinson (1887-1958) was a British artist and illustrator known for his works depicting scenes from Irish mythology and folklore.
While the name Lochlann has its roots in the Gaelic cultures of Ireland and Scotland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, though it remains relatively uncommon. The name is a testament to the rich cultural heritage and literary traditions of the Celtic nations.
People
Lochlann + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lochlann 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
Lochlann: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lochlann?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 405 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lochlann 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 846,307 US residents.
Is Lochlann a common name?
We classify Lochlann as "Very Rare". It ranks above 82.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 408 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lochlann most popular?
The single biggest year for Lochlann was 2019, when 40 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lochlann 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 Lochlann in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Lochlann a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Lochlann 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 Lochlann still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Lochlann 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 Lochlann 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 common is the name Lochlann?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans are named Lochlann on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.