Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 2009

Cailen

Gender Unisex · 44% girls Rank 2025 #9,871
Rank 2025
#9,871
among boys
Babies in 2025
7
named Cailen
How common
1 in 244,011
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2009
29 babies
All-time total
448
#10,829 all-time among boys
First recorded
1982
in Social Security records

Cailen popularity over time

448 babies have been named Cailen since 1982, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
00.010.010.0118801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s – – – – – –
1920s – – – – – –
1930s – – – – – –
1940s – – – – – –
1950s – – – – – –
1960s – – – – – –
1970s – – – – – –
1980s 21 5 26 3 – #7,093
1990s 54 35 89 9 +242% #6,100
2000s 83 98 181 18 +103% #5,240
2010s 39 91 130 13 -28% #5,778
2020s (to 2025) – 22 22 4 -72% #7,851

The story of Cailen

Cailen is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #9,871 in 2025 with 7 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1982, 448 American babies have been named Cailen, about 56% boys and 44% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 2009, when 29 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2000s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Cailen stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Cailen?

The median living Cailen is about 19 years old; half are between 13 and 26. An estimated 400 people named Cailen are alive in the United States today.

median 19 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Cailen year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – 7 #9,871
2024 – – – –
2023 – – – –
2022 – – 10 #7,851
2021 – – – –
2020 – – 5 #12,341
2019 – – – –
2018 – – 9 #8,270
2017 – – 9 #8,262
2016 6 #14,671 5 #12,496
2015 6 #14,845 5 #12,366
2014 6 #14,919 11 #7,144
2013 8 #12,198 12 #6,663
2012 – – 13 #6,366
2011 6 #15,186 12 #6,649
2010 7 #13,727 15 #5,778
2009 13 #8,992 16 #5,594
2008 8 #12,799 8 #9,124
2007 7 #14,189 17 #5,240
2006 6 #15,470 14 #5,825
2005 – – 12 #6,284
2004 12 #8,817 9 #7,613
2003 8 #11,499 10 #6,797
2002 6 #13,896 6 #9,550
2001 12 #8,282 – –
2000 11 #8,654 6 #9,244
1995 – – – –
1990 7 #10,363 – –
1985 5 #10,880 – –
1980 – – – –
1975 – – – –
1970 – – – –
1965 – – – –
1960 – – – –
1955 – – – –
1950 – – – –
1945 – – – –
1940 – – – –
1935 – – – –
1930 – – – –
1925 – – – –
1920 – – – –
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Cailen, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Cailen?

The median living Cailen is about 19 years old. Half of all living Cailens are between 13 and 26 years old.

How many people named Cailen are alive today?

An estimated 400 people named Cailen are alive in the United States, based on 448 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Cailen in 2025?

Cailen ranked #9,871 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 7 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Cailen?

448 babies have been named Cailen in the United States since 1982, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Cailen most popular?

Cailen peaked in 2009, when 29 newborns received the name.

Is Cailen a boy or girl name?

Cailen is used for both: about 44% of babies named Cailen have been girls and 56% boys.

Is the name Cailen rising or falling?

Cailen is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Names like Cailen

Names that sound and feel close to Cailen: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Cailen with similar names → More names starting with C →