NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Lonan

A masculine given name of possible Irish origin, potentially derived from "lon" meaning "blackbird".

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.

Lonan is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Lonan popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5119, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2007, with 4 births.

This profile covers 23 England and Wales registrations across 7 recorded years from 2007 to 2024. 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 75% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 26 living people in the UK are called Lonan. 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

  • Lonan ranked #5119 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 3 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2007, when 4 boys were registered as Lonan.
  • Lonan ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #404 in 2024.
  • About 26 living people in the UK are estimated to have Lonan as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#5119

2024

Births in 2024

3

Latest year

Peak year

2007

4 births

Estimated living

26

2026

Meaning

What does Lonan mean?

The name Lonan originated in Ireland, with its roots tracing back to the Gaelic language. It is derived from the ancient Irish word "lonan," which means "little blackbird" or "little raven." This name was popular among the Celtic tribes of Ireland during the early Middle Ages, around the 5th to 8th centuries.

One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Lonan can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. It mentions a notable figure named Lonan of Trevet, who lived in the 7th century and was the abbot of a monastery in County Meath, Ireland.

In the 9th century, Lonan of Lismore was a renowned Irish scholar and poet who resided at the monastic school of Lismore in County Waterford. His works, including religious poems and hymns, have been preserved and studied by scholars of early Irish literature.

During the 12th century, a prominent figure named Lonan O'Duibhdara was the Bishop of Elphin, a diocese in County Roscommon, Ireland. He was known for his involvement in various ecclesiastical matters and his contributions to the Irish church.

In the 14th century, Lonan O'Lochlainn was a respected poet and historian from County Donegal, Ireland. He is remembered for his poetic works and chronicles that documented the history and genealogies of various Irish clans.

Another notable figure bearing the name Lonan was Lonan O'Hartigan, a 16th-century Irish priest and scholar from County Kerry. He was renowned for his expertise in canon law and served as a vicar-general in the diocese of Ardfert.

While the name Lonan has its roots in ancient Ireland, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to Irish emigration and cultural exchange. However, its historical significance and connection to the rich Celtic heritage of Ireland remain strong.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Lonan over time

The chart below shows babies named Lonan registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2007 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 Lonan, the clearest high point is 2007. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2024, compared with 4 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Lonan
01234200720152024

Decades

Lonan by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Lonan 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 #4864 6 2
2010s #4538 13 4
2000s #3589 4 1

Geography

Where Lonan is most common

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

Lonan ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #404 in 2024.

Northern Ireland
3

Across the UK

Lonan in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland (NISRA)

#404 in 2024

1 years of NISRA records, 3 total registered

Related

Names similar to Lonan

FAQ

Lonan: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Lonan was ranked #5119 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.

When was Lonan most popular?

The peak year on record was 2007, with 4 babies registered as Lonan in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Lonan?

A masculine given name of possible Irish origin, potentially derived from "lon" meaning "blackbird".

How many people are called Lonan in the UK?

A total of 23 babies have been registered as Lonan across the 7 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here and 3 in Northern Ireland.

Where is Lonan most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Lonan ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #404 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.