NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Lochlain

An Irish masculine name meaning "descendant of the northman or Viking".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2020. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Lochlain is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Lochlain popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2020 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3848, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2009, with 4 births.

This profile covers 30 England and Wales registrations across 9 recorded years from 2002 to 2020. 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 33 living people in the UK are called Lochlain. 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 2021 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Lochlain ranked #3848 for boys in England and Wales in 2020, with 4 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2009, when 4 boys were registered as Lochlain.
  • Lochlain ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #421 in 2016.
  • About 33 living people in the UK are estimated to have Lochlain as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#3848

2020

Births in 2020

4

Latest year

Peak year

2009

4 births

Estimated living

33

2026

Meaning

What does Lochlain mean?

The name Lochlain originates from the Irish Gaelic language and is derived from the words "loch" meaning lake or sea inlet, and "lann" meaning land or territory. It can be translated to mean "landowner by a lake" or "lakeside dweller." The name has its roots in ancient Celtic culture and was likely first used in areas of Ireland and Scotland.

References to names similar to Lochlain can be found in early Irish and Scottish historical records dating back to the 6th century AD. The name was particularly prevalent among ruling families and clans in these regions during the Middle Ages.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Lochlain was Lochlain mac Muiredaig, a Scottish king who ruled over the kingdom of Moray in the late 11th century. Another notable bearer of the name was Lochlain O'Murchadha, an Irish chieftain and king of Leinster who lived in the 12th century.

In the 13th century, Lochlain Ua Laidcnen was an Irish poet and historian who authored several works on the genealogy and history of Irish clans. Around the same time, Lochlain mac Gillabrighde was a Scottish nobleman and chief of the Clan Macbeth.

Moving forward to the 16th century, Lochlain Og O'Daly was an Irish poet and historian who composed works in both Irish and Latin. In the 17th century, Lochlain Og O'Callanan was an Irish scholar and poet who wrote extensively on the history and culture of Ireland.

While the name Lochlain has its roots in ancient Celtic culture, it has been used throughout history by individuals of various backgrounds and nationalities. However, it remains most closely associated with its Irish and Scottish origins and the rich cultural heritage of these regions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Lochlain over time

The chart below shows babies named Lochlain registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2002 to 2020. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Lochlain, the clearest high point is 2009. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2020, compared with 4 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Lochlain
01234200220112020

Decades

Lochlain by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Lochlain 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 #3848 4 1
2010s #4528 13 4
2000s #3839 13 4

Geography

Where Lochlain is most common

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

Lochlain ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #421 in 2016.

Northern Ireland
3

Across the UK

Lochlain in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland (NISRA)

#421 in 2016

1 years of NISRA records, 3 total registered

Related

Names similar to Lochlain

FAQ

Lochlain: questions and answers

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

In 2020, Lochlain was ranked #3848 for boys in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.

When was Lochlain most popular?

The peak year on record was 2009, with 4 babies registered as Lochlain in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Lochlain?

An Irish masculine name meaning "descendant of the northman or Viking".

How many people are called Lochlain in the UK?

A total of 30 babies have been registered as Lochlain across the 9 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here and 3 in Northern Ireland.

Where is Lochlain most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Lochlain ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #421 in 2016. 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.