UK boy's name
Lorcan
An ancient Irish masculine name derived from the Old Irish meaning "little fierce.".
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.
Lorcan is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Lorcan popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #691, with 52 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2014, with 59 births.
This profile covers 1,172 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.
The latest count is about 88% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 2,244 living people in the UK are called Lorcan. 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
- • Lorcan ranked #691 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 52 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2014, when 59 boys were registered as Lorcan.
- • Lorcan ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #54 in 2024.
- • About 2,244 living people in the UK are estimated to have Lorcan as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#691
2024
Births in 2024
52
Latest year
Peak year
2014
59 births
Estimated living
2,244
2026
Meaning
What does Lorcan mean?
The name Lorcan has its origins in the Irish language and culture, tracing back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old Irish name "Lorcán," which itself is a diminutive form of the name "Lorc." The root "lorc" is believed to mean "small and fierce" or "little and fierce."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lorcan can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. The annals mention a King Lorcan mac Cathail who ruled over the Kingdom of Leinster in the 8th century AD. This suggests that the name was in use among the Irish nobility and ruling class during that time.
In the realm of Irish mythology, the name Lorcan is associated with the Tuatha Dé Danann, a race of supernatural beings who were said to have inhabited Ireland before the arrival of the Celts. One of the characters in Irish mythology bears the name Lorcan, although the details of this figure are somewhat obscure.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Lorcan. One of the most famous was Lorcan Ua Tuathail (1128-1180), an Irish king who ruled over the Kingdom of Thomond in the 12th century. Another notable figure was Lorcan O'Heerin (fl. 1420), an Irish poet and historian who compiled the Topographical Poems, a valuable source of information about medieval Ireland.
In more recent times, Lorcan Dempsey (1936-2012) was an Irish politician who served as a member of the Oireachtas (Irish Parliament) for over 30 years. Lorcan Cranitch (1949-2023) was an Irish actor known for his roles in films like "Braveheart" and "The Wind That Shakes the Barley."
Lorcan Seigne (1924-2011) was a prominent Irish musician and composer who made significant contributions to the preservation and promotion of traditional Irish music. His compositions and arrangements have been widely performed and recorded by various artists and ensembles.
While the name Lorcan may not be as common as some other Irish names today, it has a rich history and cultural significance that reflects the traditions and heritage of the Irish people.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Lorcan over time
The chart below shows babies named Lorcan 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 Lorcan, the clearest high point is 2014. The latest England and Wales figure is 52 births in 2024, compared with 59 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lorcan by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Lorcan 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 | #677 | 259 | 5 |
| 2010s | #732 | 464 | 10 |
| 2000s | #695 | 351 | 10 |
| 1990s | #728 | 98 | 4 |
Geography
Where Lorcan is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Lorcan. 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.
Lorcan ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #54 in 2024.
Across the UK
Lorcan in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#533 in 2023
6 years of NRS records, 23 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#54 in 2024
28 years of NISRA records, 1,064 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Lorcan
-
Lorcan Hanafin
racing driver
British racing driver (born 2002)
2002-
-
Lorcan James Peter McDermott
basketball player
Scottish basketball player (born 2000)
2000-
Related
Names similar to Lorcan
- Luke 72,247
- Lewis 69,555
- Leo 63,249
- Liam 60,482
- Lucas 49,061
- Logan 40,771
- Louis 35,898
- Luca 30,323
- Louie 24,242
- Leon 22,308
- Levi 9,931
- Lee 7,861
FAQ
Lorcan: questions and answers
How popular is the name Lorcan in the UK right now?
In 2024, Lorcan was ranked #691 for boys in England and Wales, with 52 births registered.
When was Lorcan most popular?
The peak year on record was 2014, with 59 babies registered as Lorcan in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Lorcan?
An ancient Irish masculine name derived from the Old Irish meaning "little fierce.".
How many people are called Lorcan in the UK?
A total of 1,172 babies have been registered as Lorcan across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 23 more in Scotland and 1,064 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Lorcan most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Lorcan ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #54 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.