Maclain
Celtic name meaning "son of the plains" or "from a flat, open land".
Name Census estimates that about 412 living Americans carry the first name Maclain. It is a predominantly male name (98.8% of registrations). The average person named Maclain today is around 19 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Maclain births was 2007 (22 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Maclain. 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.
People living today
412
~ 1 in 831,928 Americans
Peak year
2007
22 babies that year
Average age
19
years old
2024 SSA rank
#8,690
Tracked since 1988
Gender
Gender distribution for Maclain
Maclain leans heavily male at 98.8% of total registrations, but 5 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Maclain as a male name
- Ranked #8,690 in 2024
- 9 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2007 (22 births)
Maclain as a female name
- Ranked #18,471 in 2011
- 5 female births in 2011
- Peak: 2011 (5 births)
Popularity
Maclain: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Maclain from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 164 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Maclain 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 Maclain during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Maclains live
Origin
Meaning and history of Maclain
The given name Maclain has its origins in the Scottish Gaelic language, tracing back to the medieval era. It is derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son" and "lann" meaning "landowner" or "chief." This combination suggests the name originally referred to the son of a landowner or chieftain.
The name Maclain gained prominence in the Scottish Highlands, particularly among clans and families with strong ties to their ancestral lands. Its earliest recorded use can be found in ancient Scottish genealogical records and clan histories from the 12th and 13th centuries.
While the name does not appear to have any direct references in religious scriptures or ancient texts, it may have been mentioned in medieval Scottish chronicles and historical accounts documenting the lives of prominent clan chiefs and landowners.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Maclain was Maclain of Ardnamurchan, a 13th-century Scottish clan chief known for his role in the Wars of Scottish Independence against the English. Another notable figure was Maclain of Lochbuie, a 16th-century chief of the Clan Maclaine, who played a significant role in the struggles between the Scottish clans and the Crown.
In the 17th century, Maclain MacQuarrie was a renowned Scottish poet and bard, renowned for his work in preserving and promoting the Gaelic language and culture. His poetic works remain an important part of Scotland's literary heritage.
During the 18th century, Maclain MacDonald was a respected Scottish historian and genealogist, known for his meticulous records of clan histories and lineages. His work provided invaluable insights into the origins and traditions of many Scottish clans.
In more recent times, Maclain Doherty was a prominent Irish nationalist and politician in the early 20th century, who played a significant role in the struggle for Irish independence from British rule.
Throughout its history, the name Maclain has maintained its strong ties to Scottish and Gaelic heritage, often associated with a sense of pride, leadership, and connection to ancestral lands and traditions.
People
Maclain + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Maclain as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Maclain: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Maclain?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 412 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Maclain 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 831,928 US residents.
Is Maclain a common name?
We classify Maclain as "Very Rare". It ranks above 82.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 418 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Maclain most popular?
The single biggest year for Maclain was 2007, when 22 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Maclain is about 19 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Maclain a male name?
Yes, 98.8% of people registered as Maclain 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.
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.