Kathleen
The Irish Caitlín, a diminutive of Caiterína, so ultimately the Greek Aikaterine.
Popularity, 1880–2025
The Anglicized Irish Caitlín, a favorite of midcentury Irish-American families.
Kathleen appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American girls in 72 different years between 1918 and 1990. Its biggest year was 1951, when 26,716 newborn girls received the name, ranking it No. 10 nationally. Its best ranking came in 1949, at No. 9. All told, 715,336 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Cathleen (29,933), Kathlyn (5,156), Kathaleen (4,136), Kathlene (3,500), Katheleen (1,230), Cathlene (829) (total births since 1880)
Explore Kathleen interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 389 | No. 251 |
| 1890s | 1,942 | No. 163 |
| 1900s | 3,924 | No. 132 |
| 1910s | 16,592 | No. 99 |
| 1920s | 33,597 | No. 70 |
| 1930s | 34,550 | No. 48 |
| 1940s | 152,981 | No. 9 |
| 1950s | 224,342 | No. 10 |
| 1960s | 120,952 | No. 27 |
| 1970s | 44,847 | No. 45 |
| 1980s | 39,394 | No. 68 |
| 1990s | 24,846 | No. 92 |
| 2000s | 10,065 | No. 204 |
| 2010s | 3,809 | No. 594 |
| 2020s | 1,415 | No. 987 |
Births and rank shown for girls, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.