Lochlin
A Scottish name meaning "lake" or "small, calm body of water".
Name Census estimates that about 111 living Americans carry the first name Lochlin. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Lochlin today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lochlin births was 2020 (11 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lochlin. 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 Lochlin with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
111
~ 1 in 3,087,877 Americans
Peak year
2020
11 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2024 SSA rank
#8,057
Tracked since 2007
Popularity
Lochlin: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Lochlin from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 69 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Lochlin remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lochlin 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 Lochlin 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 Lochlin
The name Lochlin has its roots in the Gaelic language, originating from the ancient Celtic cultures of Ireland and Scotland. It is derived from the Old Irish word "Lochlannaibh," which means "from the land of the lakes" or "from the fjords." This name was initially used to refer to the Vikings or Norsemen who raided and settled in Ireland and parts of Scotland during the 8th to 11th centuries.
In ancient Irish literature, the term "Lochlannaibh" appears in various texts, such as the Annals of Ulster and the Annals of Inisfallen, which document the Viking raids and their interactions with the Irish kingdoms. The name Lochlin was often used to personify or represent the Vikings collectively, rather than referring to a specific individual.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lochlin being used as a personal name dates back to the 12th century. Lochlin O'Malley, a member of the influential O'Malley clan in County Mayo, Ireland, is mentioned in historical records from that period.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Lochlin. One example is Lochlin O'Daly, an Irish poet and legal scholar who lived in the 16th century and served as the Chief Ollamh (head poet) of the O'Conor clan in Connacht.
In the 17th century, Lochlin O'Mulconry was a renowned Irish historian and genealogist from County Roscommon. He is known for his work, "The Book of Hy-Many," which chronicled the history and lineages of the Gaelic families in Connacht.
Moving forward to the 19th century, Lochlin McGill was a prominent Irish-American businessman and philanthropist. Born in County Antrim, Ireland, in 1833, he later emigrated to the United States and became a successful manufacturer and investor. McGill University in Montreal, Canada, was named in his honor after he donated a substantial sum to the institution.
Another notable figure with the name Lochlin is Lochlin McMillan, an Australian politician and trade unionist who served as a member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1949 to 1960, representing the Labor Party.
While the name Lochlin has its roots in ancient Celtic cultures and was initially associated with the Vikings, it has transcended its historical origins and has been adopted by individuals across various regions and cultures over the centuries.
People
Lochlin + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lochlin 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
Lochlin: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lochlin?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 111 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lochlin 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 3,087,877 US residents.
Is Lochlin a common name?
We classify Lochlin as "Very Rare". It ranks above 66.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 112 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lochlin most popular?
The single biggest year for Lochlin was 2020, when 11 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lochlin is about 11 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 Lochlin in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Lochlin a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Lochlin 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 Lochlin still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Lochlin 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 Lochlin 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 Lochlin?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the name Lochlin on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.