Lachlan (name)

Lachlan (/ˈlæxlən/, /ˈlæklən/ and /ˈlɒklən/)[1] is a masculine given name of Irish & Scottish origin. The name is an anglicised derivative from Irish Gaelic and Scottish Gaelic.

Lachlan

Pronunciation	/ˈlæxlən/, /ˈlæklən/, /ˈlɒklən/
Gender	Masculine
Language(s)	English
Origin
Language(s)	Irish Gaelic and Scottish Gaelic
Word/name	Lachlann
Other names
Variant form(s)	Lachann
Pet form(s)	Lachie,Locky, Lachy, and Lockie
Related names	Lachina, Laughlin, Lochlainn, and Loughlin

Origins

The name is an Anglicised form of the Irish Gaelic & Scottish Gaelic Lachlann, which is in turn derived from the earlier Gaelic personal name Lochlann.[2]

In the ninth century, the terms Laithlinn / Laithlind (etc.), appear in historical sources as terms denoting the origin of Vikings active in Ireland. The exact meaning behind these terms is uncertain.[3] What is clear, however, is that the terms Lochlann / Lochlainn (etc.) came to replace these earlier terms; and that, by the eleventh century, Lochlann / Lochlainn certainly referred to Norway in historical sources. Whether the terms Lochlann / Lochlainn were originally related to Laithlinn / Laithlind, or merely conflated with them, is unknown.[4] In mediaeval Irish literature, the term Lochlann refers to a vague faraway place: sometimes the Otherworld, and sometimes Scandinavia.[5]

Pet forms of Lachlan include Lachie, Lachy,[6] and Lockie[7] (/ˈlɒkɪ/).[8] A feminine form of the name is Lachina.[9] A related form of Lachlan is the Irish Lochlainn.[10] Anglicised forms of this latter name include Laughlin[11] (/ˈlɒklɪn/, /ˈlɒxlɪn/, /ˈlɒflɪn/, /ˈlɑːflɪn/)[12] and Loughlin[13] (/ˈlɒkɪn/).[14] Lochlainn has also been rendered into English as Lawrence.[15] A variant form of Lachlann in Argyll is Lachann,[16] a name influenced by the similarly sounding (though etymologically unrelated) Eachann.[17][note 1] Historically, the name Lachlan and its variants were most commonly found in Argyll.[20] The following proverb contains the name Lachlan : "Mar mhadadh ag ol eanruich ainmean Chlann ‘ll ‘Eathain “Eachann, Lachann.” or; "Like a hound lapping broth are the names of the Clan Maclean “Eachan, Lachan “_”Hector, Lachlan.” [21][22][23] The senior branch of Clan Maclean are the Macleans of Duart. This branch was established in the 14th century on the Inner Hebridean Isle of Mull. The first Laird was known as Lachainn Lubanach or "Lachlan the crafty". Of the first fourteen Lairds of Duart, seven were named Lachlan and seven were named Hector.[24]Forms of the name Lochlainn were borne by Uí Néill and other families in the Early Middle Ages. Before the beginning of the nineteenth century, forms of the name were common amongst families in northern Ireland, but have since become unfashionable.[25] Forms of the name Lachlan were historically common amongst families with connections to the Scottish Highlands,[26] but have become remarkably popular in places such as Australia and New Zealand.[27] A less common variant is the name Lauchlan.

Modern patronymic forms of the personal name Lochlann include the Irish surnames Mac Lochlainn,[28] and Ó Lochlainn.[29] A patronymic form of the personal name Lachlann is the Scottish Gaelic surname MacLachlainn.[30] Forms of the personal names first appear on record in the tenth century. The earliest known bearer of such names was Lochlaind mac Maíl Shechnaill, heir of the Corca Mruad, whose death is noted by the Annals of Inisfallen in 983.[31] Another member of the Corca Mruad, a certain Lochlainn, is recorded by the same source to have been slain in 1015.[32] Afterwards, the principal family of the region was the Uí Lochlainn, who bore the surname Ua Lochlainn.[33] In Ulster, the Annals of Ulster record the slaying of a Lochlainn mac Maíl Shechlainn, an Uí Néill dynast, in 1023.[34] This man's powerful grandson, Domnall Ua Lochlainn, High King of Ireland, ensured that their descendants, the Meic Lochlainn, bore the surnames Mac Lochlainn and Ua Lochlainn.[35] The eponymous ancestor of the Scottish Clann Lachlainn, traditionally regarded as yet another branch of the Uí Néill, was a much later man who bore a form of the name Lachlan.[36]

Popularity

In the 2000s and 2010s, Lachlan has been a very common baby name in Australia and New Zealand.[37] ranking within the top ten masculine names registered in several Australian states. In 2008, Lachlan was ranked as the third most popular masculine baby name in New South Wales, with 581 registered that year.[38] The same year, the name was ranked as the sixth most popular masculine baby name in Victoria, with 438 registered.[39] In 2013 it was the tenth most popular name for boys in Australia.[40] In 2018, the name was surprisingly more popular in New Zealand than in Australia, as it ranked 13th in New Zealand, and 17th in Australia. The name used to be popular in Scotland, and Ireland, but the use of the name in those countries has been decreasing in recent years.

People

Lachlann

• Lachlann Mac Ruaidhrí, (fl. 1297–1307/1308), Scottish magnate

Lachlan

• Lachlan, Lord of Galloway (died 1200)
• Lachlan Boshier, (born 1994), New Zealand rugby union player.
• Lachlan Buchanan, (born 1990), Australian actor.
• Lachlan Burr, (born 1992), Australian rugby league player.
• Lachlan Coote, (born 1990), Australian rugby league player.
• Lachlan Donald Ian Mackinnon, (1882–1948), Royal Navy officer.
• Lachlan Dreher,
• Lachlan Elmer,
• Lachlan Fraser,
• Lachlan Gillespie (b.1985), Australian children's entertainer
• Lachlan Gordon-Duff,
• Lachlan Grant, (1871–1945), Scottish doctor
• Lachlan Hansen,
• Lachlan Henderson,
• Lachlan "Lockie" Leonard, main character in Tim Winton's Lockie Leonard books
• Lachlan Mackinnon,
• Lachlan Maclean (disambiguation), several people
• Lachlan Macleay,
• Lachlan Macquarie,
• Lachlan Maranta (b. 1992), Australian Rugby League player
• Lachlan McCaffrey (b. 1990), Australian rugby union player
• Lachlan McGillivray,
• Lachlan McIntosh,
• Lachlan McLean, (b. 1968) American radio host
• Lachlan McPherson (b. 1900), Scottish footballer with Notts County, Swansea and Everton
• Lachlan Mitchell,
• Lachlan Morton, (b. 1992) Australian professional road racing cyclist
• Lachlan Murdoch,
• Lachlan Nieboer,
• Lachlan Renshaw,
• Lachlan Ross,
• Lachlan Stevens, (born 1978), Australian cricket player and coach
• Lachlan Turner, (born 1987), Australian rugby union player
• Murray Lachlan Young, British performance poet
• Thomas Lachlan Macdonald, (1898–1980), New Zealand politician
• Lachlan Watson, American actor

Lachie/Lachy

• Lachy Doley, Australian musician
• Lachy Hulme, (b.1971), actor
• Lachie Hunter, (b.1994), AFL footballer
• Lachie McMillan (1900–1983), Scottish footballer
• Lachie Munro, (b. 1986), New Zealand rugby player
• Lachie Neale, (b.1993), AFL footballer
• Lachie Plowman, (b.1994) AFL footballer
• Lachie Thomson, (1873–1940), English footballer
• Lachie Stewart, (b. 1943), Scottish distance runner
• Lachie Whitfield, (b.1994), AFL footballer

Lochlann/Lochlan/Lochlainn

• Lochlainn Ó hUiginn (d.1464), member of the Ó hUiginn brehon family
• Lochlann Ó Mearáin, (b.1973), Irish actor
• Lochlann of Galloway (d.1200), Lord of eastern Galloway
• Lochlann Óg Ó Dálaigh, 17th century early modern Irish poet
• Lochlainn O'Raifeartaigh, (1933-2000), Irish physicist
• Lochlann Quinn, (b.1941), Irish entrepreneur
• Lochlan Watt, (b.1987), Australian broadcaster

Surname

Notes

1. These names were frequently borne by the MacLeans.[17] A passage from the earliest Scottish Gaelic novel (1912)—Dùn Àluinn no an t-Oighre 'na Dhìobarach[18]—remarks that pedigrees of the family sounded like a dog lapping soup or porridge: "Mar choinn ag òl eanaraich, tha ainmean Chloinn 'Illeathainn: Eachann, Lachann; Eachann, Lachann; Eachann, Lachann; Teàrlach".[19]

Citations

1. Jones; Gimson (1986) p. 287.
2. Hanks; Hardcastle; Hodges (2006) pp. 162, 405.
3. Dumville (2008) p. 356; Downham (2007) p. 15; Etchingham (2007); Woolf (2007) p. 71 n. 6.
4. Dumville (2008) p. 356; Downham (2007) p. 15; Etchingham (2007).
5. MacQuarrie (2006); Powers Coe (2006); Abrams (1998) p. 8 n. 49.
6. Hanks; Hardcastle; Hodges (2006) p. 162.
7. Hanks; Hardcastle; Hodges (2006) pp. 162, 172.
8. Jones; Gimson (1986) p. 301.
9. Jones; Gimson (1986) pp. 162, 405.
10. Hanks; Hardcastle; Hodges (2006) p. 351; Ó Corráin; Maguire (1981) p. 123.
11. Hanks; Hardcastle; Hodges (2006) p. 350.
12. Jones; Gimson (1986) p. 291.
13. Hanks; Hardcastle; Hodges (2006) pp. 173, 351.
14. Jones; Gimson (1986) p. 303.
15. Ó Corráin; Maguire (1981) p. 123.
16. Mac an Tàilleir (2016); Black (1971) p. 410.
17. Black (1971) p. 410.
18. Macleod; Watson (2007) p. 277.
19. Black (1971) p. 410; Mac Cormick; Mac Farlane (1912) p. 245.
20. 1881 British census. The British 19th Century Surname Atlas
21. Gaelic Names of Beasts (Mammalia), Birds, Fishes, Insects, Reptiles, etc Vol 1. p. 156 Alexander Robert Forbes Publisher Oliver & Boyd, Tweeddale Court Norman McLeod George IV Bridge, Edinburgh 1905
22. John Patterson MacLean A History of the Clan Maclean (Title Page) pub. Robert Clarke & Co. Cincinnati 1889
23. RELIQIAE CELTICAE (Ossiana) Vol. 2 p.502. Edited and published by Alexander Macbain and Rev. John Kennedy. 1892
24. Rev. A. M. Sinclair The Clan Gillean pub. Haszard and Moore Charlottetown 1899
25. Ó Corráin; Maguire (1981) p. 123.
26. Hanks; Hardcastle; Hodges (2006) p. 162; Ó Corráin; Maguire (1981) p. 123.
27. Hanks; Hardcastle; Hodges (2006) p. 162.
28. Mclaughlan Family History (n.d.); Mclaughlin Family History (n.d.).
29. Laughlin Family History (n.d.); O'loughlin Family History (n.d.).
30. Black (1971) p. 533.
31. Ó Murchadha (1992–1993) p. 69; Ó Cuív (1988) p. 83.
32. Ó Murchadha (1992–1993) p. 69; Ó Cuív (1988) p. 83.
33. Ó Cuív (1988) p. 85; Ó Murchadha (1992–1993) p. 69.
34. Ó Murchadha (1992–1993) p. 69; Ó Cuív (1988) p. 83.
35. Ó Cuív (1988) p. 85; Ó Murchadha (1992–1993) p. 69.
36. Sellar (1971) p. 35 n. 22.
37. Hanks; Hardcastle; Hodges (2006) p. 162.
38. "Popular Baby Names". www.bdm.nsw.gov.au. Archived from the original on 1 May 2010. Retrieved 24 July 2009.
39. "Popular Names Search". www.online.justice.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 24 July 2009.
40. "Australia's 100 most popular baby names". Kidspot. April 2, 2013. Archived from the original on January 10, 2014. Retrieved 2014-01-10.

References

• Abrams, L (1998). "The Conversion of the Scandinavians of Dublin". In Harper-Bill, C (ed.). Anglo-Norman Studies. Vol. 20, Proceedings of the Battle Conference 1997. Woodbridge: The Boydell Press. pp. 1–29. ISBN 0-85115-573-1. ISSN 0954-9927 – via Google Books.
• Black, GF (1971) [1946]. The Surnames of Scotland: Their Origin, Meaning, and History. New York: The New York Public Library. ISBN 0-87104-172-3. OL 8346130M – via Open Library.
• Etchingham, C (2007). "The Location of Historical Laithlinn / Lochla(i)nn: Scotland or Scandinavia?". In Ó Flaithearta, M (ed.). Proceedings of the Seventh Symposium of Societas Celtologica Nordica. Studia Celtica Upsaliensia. Uppsala: Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis. pp. 11–31. ISBN 978-91-554-6875-0. ISSN 0562-2719 – via Uppsala University Publications.
• Downham, C (2007). Viking Kings of Britain and Ireland: The Dynasty of Ívarr to A.D. 1014. Edinburgh: Dunedin Academic Press. ISBN 978-1-903765-89-0.
• Dumville, D (2008). "Vikings in Insular Chronicling". In Brink, S; Price, N (eds.). The Viking World. Routledge Worlds. Milton Park, Abingdon: Routledge. pp. 350–367. ISBN 978-0-203-41277-0.
• Hanks, P; Hardcastle, K; Hodges, F (2006) [1990]. A Dictionary of First Names. Oxford Paperback Reference (2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-861060-1.
• Jones, D; Gimson, AC (1986) [1917]. Everyman's English Pronouncing Dictionary (14th ed.). J.M. Dent & Sons. OL 4296804M – via Open Library.
• "Laughlin Family History". Ancestry.com. n.d. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
• Mac an Tàilleir, I (2016). "Ainmean Pearsanta" (DOCX). Retrieved 19 July 2018 – via Sabhal Mòr Ostaig.
• Mac Cormick, J (1912). Mac Farlane, M (ed.). Dunaline or the Banished Heir. Paisley: Alexander Gardner – via Internet Archive.
• Macleod, M; Watson, M (2007). "In the Shadow of the Bard: The Gaelic Short Story, Novel and Drama Since the Early Twentieth Century". In Brown, I; Clancy, TO; Manning, S; Pittock, M; Horvat, K; Hales, A (eds.). The Edinburgh History of Scottish Literature. Vol. 3, Modern Transformations: New Identities (From 1918). Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. pp. 273–282. ISBN 978 0 7486 2482 9.
• MacQuarrie, CW (2006). "Ellan Vannin (Isle of Man) §4. The Isle of Man in Early Irish Literature". In Koch, JT (ed.). Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia. Vol. 2. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. pp. 677–679. ISBN 1-85109-445-8.
• "Mclaughlan Family History". Ancestry.com. n.d. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
• "Mclaughlin Family History". Ancestry.com. n.d. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
• "O'loughlin Family History". Ancestry.com. n.d. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
• Ó Corráin, D; Maguire, F (1981). Gaelic Personal Names. Dublin: Academy Press. ISBN 0 906187 39 7 – via Google Books.
• Ó Cuív, B (1988). "Personal Names as an Indicator of Relations Between Native Irish and Settlers in the Viking Period". In Bradley, J (ed.). Settlement and Society in Medieval Ireland: Studies Presented to F.X. Martin. Irish Studies. Kilkenny: Boethius Press. pp. 79–88. ISBN 0863141439 – via Google Books.
• Ó Murchadha, D (1992–1993). "Nationality Names in the Irish Annals" (PDF). Nomina. 16: 49–70. ISSN 0141-6340.
• Powers Coe, P (2006). "Lochlann". In Koch, JT (ed.). Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia. Vol. 3. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. p. 1187. ISBN 1-85109-445-8.
• Sellar, WDH (1971). "Family Origins in Cowal and Knapdale". Scottish Studies. Vol. 15: 21–37 – via Google Books.
• Woolf, A (2007). From Pictland to Alba, 789–1070. The New Edinburgh History of Scotland (series vol. 2). Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 978-0-7486-1233-8.