NameCensus.

UK name, mostly boys

Larkin

A masculine name derived from the English surname meaning "brave little fellow".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2021. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Also recorded as a girls' name in the UK, with 6 girls.

Larkin is mostly registered for boys in the UK records. People looking for Larkin popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2021 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4789, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2015, with 3 births.

This profile covers 9 England and Wales registrations across 3 recorded years from 2015 to 2021. The figures come from ONS England and Wales 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.

The latest count is about 100% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 12 living people in the UK are called Larkin. 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 2022 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Larkin ranked #4789 for boys in England and Wales in 2021, with 3 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2015, when 3 boys were registered as Larkin.
  • Larkin ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #398 in 2013.
  • Larkin is also recorded for girls, but the boys side is the larger UK variant in these records.
  • About 12 living people in the UK are estimated to have Larkin as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
  • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 60.0% of Larkin registrations are for boys.

Latest rank (E&W)

#4789

2021

Births in 2021

3

Latest year

Peak year

2015

3 births

Estimated living

12

2026

Gender

Boy and girl registrations for Larkin

In England and Wales birth records, Larkin has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 60.0% of registrations are for boys and 40.0% are for girls.

These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.

60% boys
40% girls
Boys9 (60.0%)Girls6 (40.0%)

Larkin registered for boys

  • Ranked #4,789 in 2021
  • 3 boys registered in 2021
  • Peak: 2015 (3 births)

Larkin registered for girls

  • Ranked #5,545 in 2008
  • 3 girls registered in 2008
  • Peak: 2007 (3 births)

Meaning

What does Larkin mean?

The name Larkin is an English surname that originated as a diminutive form of the male given name Lawrence. Its roots can be traced back to the Latin name Laurentius, which was derived from the Roman surname Laurentum, meaning "from Laurentum," an ancient city located near Rome. The name Lawrence itself is believed to have been a Greek translation of the Latin name.

Larkin gained popularity as a given name in its own right during the Middle Ages, particularly in England and Ireland. It was commonly used as a diminutive form of Lawrence or as a separate name with a similar meaning. The earliest known record of the name Larkin dates back to the 13th century in England.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the name Larkin was Larkin Chace (1631-1718), an English-born American settler and landowner in colonial Rhode Island. He was among the founding settlers of Warwick, Rhode Island, and played a significant role in the colony's early development.

Another historical figure with the name Larkin was Larkin Goldsmith Mead (1835-1915), an American sculptor and artist who was particularly known for his public monuments and statues. He was responsible for creating notable works such as the statue of Abraham Lincoln in Lincoln Park, Chicago, and the Statue of Liberty's pedestal in New York City.

In the literary world, Larkin Goldsmith Mead (1896-1963) was an American writer and poet who gained recognition for his works during the Harlem Renaissance. He was a prominent figure in the African American literary community and contributed to several influential publications of the time.

One of the most renowned individuals named Larkin was Philip Larkin (1922-1985), an English poet, novelist, and librarian. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest English poets of the 20th century and is known for his poignant and often melancholic works that explored themes of everyday life, mortality, and the complexities of human relationships.

Another notable figure was James Larkin (1876-1947), an Irish trade union leader and socialist activist who played a significant role in the labor movement in Ireland and Britain. He was a prominent figure in the Dublin Lockout of 1913, a major industrial dispute that had a lasting impact on workers' rights and the labor movement in Ireland.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Larkin over time

The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Larkin in England and Wales, from 2007 to 2021. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Larkin, the clearest high point is 2015. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2021, compared with 3 at the peak.

Babies born per year

BoysGirls
01223200720142021

Decades

Larkin by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Larkin 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 #4789 3 1
2010s #4725 6 2

Geography

Where Larkin is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Larkin. 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.

Larkin ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #398 in 2013.

Northern Ireland
3

Across the UK

Larkin in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland (NISRA)

#398 in 2013

1 years of NISRA records, 3 total registered

Related

Names similar to Larkin

FAQ

Larkin: questions and answers

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

In 2021, Larkin was ranked #4789 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.

When was Larkin most popular?

The peak year on record was 2015, with 3 babies registered as Larkin in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Larkin?

A masculine name derived from the English surname meaning "brave little fellow".

How many people are called Larkin in the UK?

A total of 9 babies have been registered as Larkin across the 3 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here and 3 in Northern Ireland.

Where is Larkin most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Larkin ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #398 in 2013. 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.