Baby Names US
girls' name ★ peaked 1951

Kathlyn

Gender Girl Rank 2025 #4,818 Trend ↑ Rising 195%
Rank 2025
#4,818
among girls · ↓2,083 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
28
named Kathlyn · -56% vs 2024
How common
1 in 57,402
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1951
125 babies
All-time total
5,156
#2,521 all-time among girls
First recorded
1897
in Social Security records

Kathlyn popularity over time

5,156 babies have been named Kathlyn since 1897, 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
0.040.080.110.1518801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1914Girls

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 Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – –
1890s 20 2 – #1,318
1900s 76 8 +280% #1,101
1910s 565 57 +643% #559
1920s 512 51 -9% #819
1930s 268 27 -48% #1,214
1940s 728 73 +172% #797
1950s 851 85 +17% #796
1960s 382 38 -55% #1,530
1970s 223 22 -42% #2,762
1980s 382 38 +71% #2,135
1990s 489 49 +28% #1,863
2000s 383 38 -22% #2,761
2010s 152 15 -60% #5,933
2020s (to 2025) 125 21 +37% #2,735

Where Kathlyn is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 girls Implied rank
2026 32 0.02 outside top 500
2027 37 0.02 outside top 500
2028 41 0.03 outside top 500
2029 44 0.03 outside top 500
2030 48 0.03 outside top 500

The story of Kathlyn

Kathlyn is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #4,818 in 2025 with 28 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1897, 5,156 American babies have been named Kathlyn. Its peak came in 1951, when 125 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1950s.

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 Kathlyn stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Kathlyn?

The median living Kathlyn is about 53 years old; half are between 30 and 72. An estimated 3,300 people named Kathlyn are alive in the United States today.

median 53 020406080100

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

Kathlyn year by year

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

Year Girls Girls rank
2025 28 #4,818
2024 63 #2,735
2023 9 #10,736
2022 6 #14,443
2021 10 #9,919
2020 9 #10,687
2019 11 #9,415
2018 13 #8,364
2017 12 #9,056
2016 13 #8,630
2015 22 #5,933
2014 12 #9,252
2013 19 #6,589
2012 15 #8,019
2011 20 #6,442
2010 15 #8,085
2009 31 #4,744
2008 23 #6,033
2007 34 #4,419
2006 42 #3,696
2005 39 #3,772
2004 44 #3,419
2003 41 #3,501
2002 34 #3,850
2001 42 #3,279
2000 53 #2,761
1995 46 #2,667
1990 53 #2,358
1985 33 #2,830
1980 30 #2,954
1975 25 #2,912
1970 25 #2,816
1965 23 #2,569
1960 53 #1,530
1955 77 #1,140
1950 102 #878
1945 65 #960
1940 33 #1,305
1935 35 #1,214
1930 33 #1,335
1925 27 #1,626
1920 66 #900
1915 108 #633
1910 – –
1905 8 #1,479
1900 12 #1,137
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Kathlyn?

The median living Kathlyn is about 53 years old. Half of all living Kathlyns are between 30 and 72 years old.

How many people named Kathlyn are alive today?

An estimated 3,300 people named Kathlyn are alive in the United States, based on 5,156 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Kathlyn in 2025?

Kathlyn ranked #4,818 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 28 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Kathlyn?

5,156 babies have been named Kathlyn in the United States since 1897, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Kathlyn most popular?

Kathlyn peaked in 1951, when 125 newborns received the name.

Is Kathlyn a boy or girl name?

Kathlyn is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Kathlyn rising or falling?

Kathlyn is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Kathlyn become more popular?

Kathlyn is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 48 girls named Kathlyn in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Kathlyn

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

Compare Kathlyn with similar names → More names starting with K →