Lochlann
Say it: LOKH-lan
BoyIrishMeans land of the Norse8 letters2 syllables
#188
in Ireland (2025)
25
babies in 2025
#188
best rank (2025)
338
babies since 1973
Up 51
10-year rank change
Lochlann through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (boys) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 25 | #188 |
| 2024 | 13 | #293 |
| 2023 | 12 | #319 |
| 2022 | 23 | #215 |
| 2021 | 16 | #270 |
| 2020 | 15 | #284 |
| 2019 | 17 | #262 |
| 2018 | 12 | #324 |
| 2017 | 18 | #263 |
| 2016 | 22 | #232 |
| 2015 | 22 | #239 |
| 2014 | 14 | #314 |
| 2013 | 14 | #309 |
| 2012 | 9 | #401 |
| 2011 | 13 | #326 |
| 2010 | 11 | #354 |
| 2009 | 13 | #313 |
| 2008 | 15 | #287 |
| 2007 | 14 | #271 |
| 2006 | 9 | #315 |
| 2005 | 7 | #343 |
| 2004 | 5 | #391 |
| 2003 | 7 | #305 |
| 2001 | 5 | #317 |
| 2000 | 4 | #347 |
| 1973 | 3 | #320 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Lochlann mean?
Land of the Norse
Irish, from Lochlann, the old Irish name for the homeland of the Vikings.
Say it right
LOKHlan
The "ch" is the throaty sound in "loch", not a "k" or "tch".
Not:LOTCH-lan
The story of Lochlann
Lochlann was the old Irish name for the homeland of the Vikings, and later for Norway and Scandinavia in general. The earliest form was Lothlind, whose origin is disputed. Later speakers reshaped it as if it came from loch, a lake, but that is a folk explanation rather than the real source. In medieval Irish tales Lochlann is also a far-off, half-magical country over the sea.
The word survives in the surnames Ó Lochlainn and Mac Lochlainn, which became O’Loughlin and McLoughlin in English, and in the Scottish first name Lachlan.
Lochlann first appears in the CSO records in 1973, and it has been given more often since the 2000s. The CSO counts Lochlann and Lochlainn separately. 2025 was its best year yet, with 25 boys and a place at number 188.
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Sources
- Wiktionary: Lochlann (Irish proper 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Lochlann | 25 | 338 |
In Northern Ireland
#237 in 2025 with 8 babies. Best rank #178 (2018); 102 babies since 2006.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.