Lochlyn
A name meaning "lake land", originating from Scottish origins.
Name Census estimates that about 436 living Americans carry the first name Lochlyn. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 77.0% of registrations being female. The average person named Lochlyn today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lochlyn births was 2018 (42 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lochlyn. 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 Lochlyn with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
436
~ 1 in 786,134 Americans
Peak year
2018
42 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,793
Tracked since 2000
Gender
Gender distribution for Lochlyn
Lochlyn is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 439 total registrations, 101 (23.0%) were male and 338 (77.0%) were female.
Lochlyn as a male name
- Ranked #10,471 in 2024
- 7 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2019 (19 births)
Lochlyn as a female name
- Ranked #6,793 in 2024
- 17 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2014 (33 births)
Popularity
Lochlyn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Lochlyn 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 268 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Lochlyn remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lochlyn 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 Lochlyn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Lochlyns live
Origin
Meaning and history of Lochlyn
The name Lochlyn has its origins in Scottish and Gaelic cultures, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Scottish Gaelic words "loch," meaning lake or sea inlet, and "linn," meaning a pool or waterfall. The combination of these two words suggests a connection to a body of water, such as a lake or a waterfall near a loch.
Historically, the name Lochlyn was primarily used in Scottish and Irish communities, particularly in regions with a strong Celtic heritage. It was often given to children born near lochs or in areas known for their natural waterways and scenic landscapes.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lochlyn can be traced back to the 12th century, when it appeared in Scottish clan records and historical documents. However, its usage was not widespread until several centuries later.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Lochlyn. One such person was Lochlyn Munro (1660-1733), a Scottish writer and philosopher known for his works on ethics and moral philosophy. Another was Lochlyn MacGregor (1789-1857), a Scottish soldier who fought in the Napoleonic Wars and later became a prominent figure in the British military.
In the literary realm, Lochlyn O'Hara (1828-1892) was an Irish novelist and poet who gained recognition for her romantic works set in the Irish countryside. Lochlyn Fitzpatrick (1865-1940), on the other hand, was an American artist known for his landscapes and seascapes, many of which depicted the rugged coastlines of New England.
Moving into more modern times, Lochlyn Munro (1966-present) is a Canadian actor best known for his roles in television series such as "Riverdale" and "Charmed." He has also appeared in numerous films and has garnered a dedicated following among fans of science fiction and fantasy genres.
It is worth noting that while the name Lochlyn has roots in Scottish and Irish cultures, it has also gained popularity in other regions, particularly in North America, where it is sometimes used as a gender-neutral name or as a surname.
People
Lochlyn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lochlyn 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
Lochlyn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lochlyn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 436 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lochlyn 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 786,134 US residents.
Is Lochlyn a common name?
We classify Lochlyn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 439 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lochlyn most popular?
The single biggest year for Lochlyn was 2018, when 42 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lochlyn 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 Lochlyn in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Lochlyn a female name?
Yes, 77.0% of people registered as Lochlyn 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 Lochlyn still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Lochlyn 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 Lochlyn 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 Lochlyn?
See how many people have the name Lochlyn on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.