Lachlan (name)
Lachlan ((, and ) is a masculine given name of Scottish origin.
Origins
The name is an Anglicised form of the Scottish Gaelic Lachlann, which is in turn derived from the earlier Gaelic personal name Lochlann.
In the ninth century, the terms Laithlinn / Laithlind (etc.), appear in historical sources as terms denoting the origins of Vikings active Ireland. The exact meaning behind these terms is uncertain. 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. In mediaeval Irish literature, the term Lochlann refers to a vague faraway place: sometimes the Otherworld, and sometimes Scandinavia.
Pet forms of Lachlan include Lachie, Lachy, and Lockie (). A feminine form of the name is Lachina. A related form of Lachlan is the Irish Lochlainn. Anglicised forms of this latter name include Laughlin (, , , ) and Loughlin ().Lochlainn has also been rendered into English as Lawrence. 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. Forms of the name Lachlan were historically common amongst families with connections to the Scottish Highlands, but have become remarkably popular in places such as Australia and New Zealand.