Larkin
Larkin is a given name and surname of Russian, English and Irish origin. In England, the name is a relationship name from Lar, a pet form of the personal name Laurence. In Ireland, the name means a descendant of Lorcain or Lorcan, originally found in the form O'Lorcain.
- Medieval English
Meaning & Origin of Larkin
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Larkin is a given name and surname of Russian, English and Irish origin. In England, the name is a relationship name from Lar, a pet form of the personal name Laurence. In Ireland, the name means a descendant of Lorcain or Lorcan, originally found in the form O'Lorcain.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Medieval English
The Story of Larkin
As a girl name
The earliest SSA record of Larkin as a girl name dates back to 1959, when 5 babies received it. 2006 was its biggest year on record, with 115 newborns named Larkin — #1,798 in the national rankings. About 38% of every Larkin on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Larkin ranks #4,200 for girls with 34 births, falling sharply (-47%). All told, over 2K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1950s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
Larkin first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1880, with 16 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2019: 64 births, good for #2,187 nationwide. As of 2026, Larkin ranks #2,977 for boys with 42 births, falling sharply (-21%). All told, over 3K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Larkin
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Larkin. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Larkin
Phonetically similar names — useful when Larkin is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Larkin
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About the name Larkin
Larkin is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 3K births in the dataset. Larkin's peak popularity came in 2019 when it ranked #442. Use the chart and map above to compare Larkin's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2019 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "L" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.