Lachlan
Lachlan was the 606th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 468 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 161 places. More babies were named Lachlan in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning from Lochlann, 'land of lochs' (Norway) · Scottish Gaelic
Say it LAHK-lun /ˈlɑklən/
- Rank in 2025
- #606 boys, up 99 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 468boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2025468 babies
- Total since 1880
- 6,398babies recorded
What does the name Lachlan mean?
Lachlan is a Scottish Gaelic name, Lachlann or Lochlann. Wiktionary explains Lochlann as "land of lochs or fjords," a Gaelic name for Scandinavia, so the personal name originally referred to a Norse settler, someone from Norway. Wiktionary notes it was long used mainly in Scotland and has recently become popular in Australia, where a river is named Lachlan. In the US it has been used since the 1950s.
Lochlann (Scottish Gaelic, “land of lochs; Scandinavia”)
How sure is this? Probable. Wiktionary says the name is 'said to' refer to a Norse immigrant; not checked against an edited source.
Pronunciation: In Scotland the ch is the throaty sound of loch.
Related names: Lachie, Lochlan, Loughlin.
See also: Scottish names, names from places.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Lachlan' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Nicknames for Lachlan
The usual nicknames for Lachlan are Lachie and Lockie.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lachie | Traditional | — | — |
| Lockie | Traditional | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Lachlans go by each one.
Lachlan popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 290 since 1996, 9 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #606 | 468 |
| 2020 | #705 | 358 |
| 2010 | #1,207 | 148 |
| 2000 | #2,458 | 39 |
| 1990 | — | — |
| 1980 | — | — |
| 1970 | #5,122 | 5 |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Lachlan, counting every spelling?
Lachlan is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #591 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #606 for Lachlan on its own. Together these spellings went to 479 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lachlan | 468 | #606 | 1,891 |
| Lachlann | 11 | #7,460 | 30 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Lachlan?
468 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Lachlan (0.13 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Lachlan born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 18 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Lachlan.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Lachlan?
About 6,000 people born in the US named Lachlan are alive today, with a median age of 9; half are between 4 and 14. That makes Lachlan a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Lachlan by state
How common Lachlan was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Colorado (2.8×), Washington (2.7×), Minnesota (2.5×), Oregon (2.5×), Wisconsin (2.2×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Louisiana, Arkansas, Arizona.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Lachlan: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Lachlan, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Lachlan · Sibling names for Lachlan
Questions about the name Lachlan
What does Lachlan mean?
Lachlan means “from Lochlann, 'land of lochs' (Norway)” (Scottish Gaelic origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Lachlan?
Lachlan was the 606th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 468 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 161 places. More babies were named Lachlan in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Lachlan a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Lachlan in the US.
Where is Lachlan most popular?
In 2021–2025, Lachlan was most common in Montana (0.68 per 1,000 boys), followed by Colorado and Washington.