NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Lam

A word of Khmer origin meaning "son" or "child".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2019. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Lam is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Lam popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2019 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4686, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2019, with 4 births.

This profile covers 7 England and Wales registrations across 2 recorded years from 2010 to 2019. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, 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.

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

We estimate that about 7 living people in the UK are called Lam. 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 2020 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Lam ranked #4686 for girls in England and Wales in 2019, with 4 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2019, when 4 girls were registered as Lam.
  • About 7 living people in the UK are estimated to have Lam as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#4686

2019

Births in 2019

4

Latest year

Peak year

2019

4 births

Estimated living

7

2026

Meaning

What does Lam mean?

The given name Lam has its origins in the ancient Semitic languages of the Middle East. Derived from the root word lmd, meaning "to study" or "to learn," the name Lam has been associated with knowledge, wisdom, and scholarship throughout history.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lam can be found in the biblical Book of Genesis, where Lam is mentioned as the son of Bethuel and the grandson of Nahor, Abraham's brother. This reference places the name's usage in the region of Mesopotamia during the second millennium BCE.

In ancient Sumerian texts, the name Lam-azida is recorded as a title for a high-ranking official or priest, further reinforcing the name's connection to learning and wisdom. The Sumerian civilization, which flourished in the region of modern-day Iraq, dates back to the 4th millennium BCE.

During the medieval period, the name Lam gained popularity among Arab scholars and intellectuals. One notable figure bearing this name was Lam ibn Yahya al-Qurashi, a renowned 9th-century philosopher and mathematician from Baghdad. His contributions to the fields of logic and metaphysics were influential during the Islamic Golden Age.

In the 12th century, Lam ibn al-Qadi al-Baghdadi was a prominent Islamic jurist and theologian from Baghdad. His extensive writings on Islamic jurisprudence and theology made him a respected authority in the region.

Crossing into the Asian continent, the name Lam has also been recorded in ancient Chinese texts. One notable figure was Lam Qua, a 19th-century Chinese painter and poet who gained recognition for his intricate and detailed artworks depicting scenes from Chinese culture and history.

Moving into the modern era, the name Lam has been borne by several notable individuals, such as Lam Qua, a 19th-century Chinese painter and poet renowned for his intricate artworks depicting scenes from Chinese culture and history. Another notable bearer of the name was Lam Qing-yu, a 20th-century Hong Kong film director and screenwriter who made significant contributions to the local cinema industry.

Lam has been a name carried by individuals from diverse cultures and backgrounds, each leaving their mark on history through their achievements and contributions in various fields, from religion and philosophy to art and literature.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Lam over time

The chart below shows babies named Lam registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2010 to 2019. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Lam, the clearest high point is 2019. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2019, compared with 4 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Lam
01234201020142019

Decades

Lam by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Lam 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
2010s #5197 7 2

Related

Names similar to Lam

FAQ

Lam: questions and answers

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

In 2019, Lam was ranked #4686 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.

When was Lam most popular?

The peak year on record was 2019, with 4 babies registered as Lam in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Lam?

A word of Khmer origin meaning "son" or "child".

How many people are called Lam in the UK?

A total of 7 babies have been registered as Lam across the 2 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.

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.