NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Lachlan

A masculine given name of Scottish origin meaning "from the fjord-land".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Lachlan is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Lachlan popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #328, with 134 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2024, with 134 births.

This profile covers 2,258 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

Lachlan is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.

We estimate that about 3,709 living people in the UK are called Lachlan. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Lachlan ranked #328 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 134 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2024, when 134 boys were registered as Lachlan.
  • Lachlan ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #88 in 2024.
  • About 3,709 living people in the UK are estimated to have Lachlan as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#328

2024

Births in 2024

134

Latest year

Peak year

2024

134 births

Estimated living

3,709

2026

Meaning

What does Lachlan mean?

The name Lachlan is a Scottish Gaelic name derived from the old Gaelic word "lachan," meaning "lake." It is believed to have originated in the region of Argyll in western Scotland, where many lochs or lakes are present. The name was likely initially used to describe someone who lived near a lake or was associated with a particular body of water.

During the Middle Ages, the name Lachlan appeared in various Scottish historical records and documents. One of the earliest recorded instances was Lachlan Mor, who was a 13th-century Scottish warrior and chieftain of the Clan MacLachlan. He played a significant role in defending Scotland against the Norse invaders and is celebrated in Scottish folklore.

In the 16th century, Lachlan Macintosh, born around 1520, was a notable figure who served as the 16th Chief of Clan Mackintosh. He was known for his involvement in the battles of the Scottish Reformation and his efforts to protect the interests of his clan.

Another noteworthy bearer of the name was Lachlan Macquarie, born in 1762, who was a British colonial administrator and served as the Governor of New South Wales from 1810 to 1821. He played a crucial role in the development of Sydney and is credited with shaping the infrastructure and governance of the colony during his tenure.

In the 19th century, Lachlan McLean, born in 1798, was a Scottish-Canadian explorer and fur trader who worked for the Hudson's Bay Company. He is remembered for his expeditions in what is now western Canada and his contributions to the exploration of the Pacific Northwest region.

More recently, Lachlan Murdoch, born in 1971, is a prominent Australian-American businessman and media executive. He is the co-chairman and CEO of the media conglomerate News Corp, founded by his father, Rupert Murdoch, and has played a significant role in the company's global operations.

While the name Lachlan has Scottish origins, it has gained popularity in various parts of the world, particularly in Australia, New Zealand, and North America, where it is often associated with Scottish heritage and traditions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Lachlan over time

The chart below shows babies named Lachlan registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Lachlan, the clearest high point is 2024. The latest England and Wales figure is 134 births in 2024, compared with 134 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Lachlan
03467101134199620102024

Decades

Lachlan by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Lachlan was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #377 571 5
2010s #472 868 10
2000s #444 646 10
1990s #604 173 4

Geography

Where Lachlan is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Lachlan. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Lachlan ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #88 in 2024.

Scotland
58
Northern Ireland
6

Across the UK

Lachlan in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#88 in 2024

50 years of NRS records, 1,429 total registered

Northern Ireland (NISRA)

#278 in 2024

10 years of NISRA records, 50 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Lachlan

  • Lachlan Moorhead

    judoka

    British judoka

    2000-

  • Lachlan Nieboer

    actor; television actor

    British actor

    1981-

  • Lachlan John Rankin

    (born 1980)

    1980-

  • Lachlan Murdoch

    businessperson

    British businessman (born 1971)

    1971-

  • Lachlan Mackinnon

    teacher; poet; journalist

    British writer

    1956-

  • Lachlan McPherson

    association football coach; association football player

    Scottish footballer

    1900-

  • Lachlan Macbean

    editor; music editor

    Editor of the Fifeshire Advisor and books of music in Scottish Gaelic

    1853-1931

  • Lachlan Gordon-Duff

    politician

    British politician

    1817-1892

Related

Names similar to Lachlan

FAQ

Lachlan: questions and answers

How popular is the name Lachlan in the UK right now?

In 2024, Lachlan was ranked #328 for boys in England and Wales, with 134 births registered.

When was Lachlan most popular?

The peak year on record was 2024, with 134 babies registered as Lachlan in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Lachlan?

A masculine given name of Scottish origin meaning "from the fjord-land".

How many people are called Lachlan in the UK?

A total of 2,258 babies have been registered as Lachlan across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 1,429 more in Scotland and 50 in Northern Ireland.

Where is Lachlan most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Lachlan ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #88 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.