Boy · #7,725 in 2026

Loch

Name: Popularity of the name Loch in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Loch, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Loch is a word meaning "lake" or "sea inlet" in Scottish and Irish Gaelic, subsequently borrowed into English. In Irish contexts, it often appears in the anglicized form "lough". A small loch is sometimes called a lochan. Lochs which connect to the sea may be called "sea lochs" or "sea loughs".

Current Rank

#7,725

Peak Rank

#7,583 (2021)

Total Babies

5-Yr Trend

Stable

2011

First Year

2024

Last Year

2021

Peak Year

#7583

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Loch

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Origin & history

Looking down Loch Long, a long sea loch Loch Lubnaig , a reservoir The Lake of Menteith (Loch Innis MoCholmaig) Loch Derculich in Perthshire Loch, as a name for a body of water, is Insular Celtic in origin and is applied to most lakes and many sea inlands in Scotland . Many of the loughs in Northern England have also previously been called "meres" (a Northern English dialect word for "lake", and an archaic Standard English word meaning "a lake that is broad in relation to its depth"), similar to the Dutch meer , such as the Black Lough in Northumberland . Some lochs in Southern Scotland have a

The Story of Loch

Loch first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 2011, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2021, when 10 Lochs were born — ranking #7,583 that year. As of 2026, Loch ranks #7,725 for baby boys with 10 births, with steady use. In total, more than 81 Lochs have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2010s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Loch

Phonetically similar names — useful when Loch is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Lock
Locke
Loc
Lok
Locc
Lokke
Louk
Lowk
Lauck
Lauk
Lake
Lack

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Loch

What does the name Loch mean?

How popular is Loch in 2026?

In 2026, Loch ranks #7,725 among boys' names in the U.S., with 10 babies given the name that year.

When was Loch most popular?

Loch reached its peak popularity in 2021, ranking #7,583 that year with 10 babies given the name.

Is Loch a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Loch is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Loch?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Loch include Emmery, Staton, Norlan. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Loch

Loch is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 2011 and has accumulated 81 births in the dataset. Loch's peak popularity came in 2021 when it ranked #7,583. Use the chart and map above to compare Loch's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.