Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 2002

Keelin

Meaning thin, slender Gender Unisex · 74% girls Rank 2025 Below top lists

Borrowed from Irish Caoilfhionn, from caol (“thin, slender”) +‎ fionn (“light, fair”).

Rank 2025
–
among girls
Babies in 2025
8
named Keelin
How common
–
girls born in 2025
Peak year
2002
70 babies
All-time total
1,396
#7,303 all-time among girls
First recorded
1956
in Social Security records

Keelin popularity over time

1,396 babies have been named Keelin since 1956, 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
0.010.020.030.0418801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
GirlsBoys

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 5 – 5 1 – #6,415
1960s 5 – 5 1 0% #7,252
1970s 19 – 19 2 +280% #7,004
1980s 80 – 80 8 +321% #5,974
1990s 280 82 362 36 +353% #3,117
2000s 436 119 555 56 +53% #2,566
2010s 194 114 308 31 -45% #4,756
2020s (to 2025) 21 41 62 10 -66% #11,647

The story of Keelin

Keelin is not currently in use for newborns in the United States: fewer than five babies received the name in 2025. Its story lives in the historical record below.

Since 1956, 1,396 American babies have been named Keelin, about 74% girls and 26% boys, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 2002, when 70 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 Keelin stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Keelin?

The median living Keelin is about 22 years old; half are between 15 and 28. An estimated 1,400 people named Keelin are alive in the United States today.

median 22 020406080100

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

Keelin 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 – – 8 #9,325
2024 – – 6 #11,684
2023 – – 8 #9,363
2022 6 #14,461 7 #10,347
2021 8 #11,647 – –
2020 7 #12,816 12 #6,833
2019 9 #10,913 13 #6,604
2018 14 #7,962 12 #6,929
2017 6 #15,033 9 #8,511
2016 15 #7,798 9 #8,497
2015 16 #7,440 7 #10,117
2014 20 #6,320 12 #6,864
2013 25 #5,403 9 #8,467
2012 29 #4,903 14 #6,163
2011 30 #4,756 11 #7,265
2010 30 #4,801 18 #5,145
2009 34 #4,422 17 #5,436
2008 43 #3,743 12 #6,985
2007 49 #3,409 12 #6,870
2006 44 #3,590 5 #13,068
2005 40 #3,685 9 #8,006
2004 42 #3,533 11 #6,777
2003 41 #3,502 5 #11,865
2002 61 #2,566 9 #7,354
2001 42 #3,281 16 #4,790
2000 40 #3,369 23 #3,590
1995 23 #4,422 14 #4,407
1990 12 #7,091 – –
1985 9 #7,241 – –
1980 9 #7,059 – –
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 Keelin, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Keelin?

The median living Keelin is about 22 years old. Half of all living Keelins are between 15 and 28 years old.

How many people named Keelin are alive today?

An estimated 1,400 people named Keelin are alive in the United States, based on 1,396 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Keelin mean?

Borrowed from Irish Caoilfhionn, from caol (“thin, slender”) +‎ fionn (“light, fair”).

How popular is the name Keelin in 2025?

Keelin did not appear in the 2025 Social Security data, which means fewer than five babies received the name that year.

How many people are named Keelin?

1,396 babies have been named Keelin in the United States since 1956, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Keelin most popular?

Keelin peaked in 2002, when 70 newborns received the name.

Is Keelin a boy or girl name?

Keelin is used for both: about 74% of babies named Keelin have been girls and 26% boys.

Is the name Keelin rising or falling?

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

Names like Keelin

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

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