Lochlainn
Say it: LOKH-lin
BoyIrishMeans of Lochlann, the land of the Norse9 letters2 syllables
#272
in Ireland (2025)
#264 with spellings combined
16
babies in 2025
#264
best rank (2025)
154
babies since 1980
Up 158
10-year rank change
Lochlainn through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (boys) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 16 | #264 |
| 2024 | 7 | #454 |
| 2023 | 13 | #308 |
| 2022 | 6 | #493 |
| 2021 | 6 | #479 |
| 2020 | 10 | #369 |
| 2019 | 7 | #446 |
| 2018 | 8 | #411 |
| 2017 | 9 | #394 |
| 2016 | 8 | #412 |
| 2015 | 8 | #422 |
| 2014 | 4 | #609 |
| 2013 | 7 | #448 |
| 2012 | 3 | #718 |
| 2011 | 12 | #342 |
| 2010 | 4 | #611 |
| 2009 | 5 | #532 |
| 2008 | 3 | #698 |
| 2007 | 3 | #629 |
| 2006 | 3 | #595 |
| 2003 | 3 | #500 |
| 2001 | 3 | #409 |
| 1998 | 3 | #369 |
| 1980 | 3 | #321 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Lochlainn mean?
Of Lochlann, the land of the Norse
Irish, from Lochlainn, a form of Lochlann, the old Irish name for the homeland of the Vikings.
Say it right
LOKHlin
The "ch" is the throaty sound in "loch", not a "k" or "tch".
Not:LOTCH-lanLOK-lane
The story of Lochlainn
Lochlainn is a form of Lochlann, the old Gaelic name for the homeland of the Vikings and, later, for Norway and Scandinavia in general. In grammar it is the “of” form of the word, which is why it appears in the surnames Ó Lochlainn and Mac Lochlainn, known in English as O’Loughlin and McLoughlin. Scottish Lachlan comes from the same place.
People sometimes read the name as coming from loch, a lake, but that is a later reshaping rather than its real origin. In old Irish tales Lochlann is also a distant, half-magical land across the sea.
In Ireland Lochlainn first appears in the CSO records in 1980, but it stayed very rare until the 2000s. 2025 was its best year so far, with 16 boys and a place at number 264. The CSO counts Lochlainn, Lochlann and Lochlan as separate names. It is proportionally more popular in Northern Ireland, where it reached number 149 in 2025.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Lochlainn (Scottish Gaelic noun)
- Wikipedia: Lachlan (name)
- CSO VSA50, Boys Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, First Forenames Given to Babies Registered in Northern Ireland
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Lochlainn | 16 | 154 |
In Northern Ireland
#149 in 2025 with 15 babies. Best rank #149 (2025); 124 babies since 2008.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.