Cathleen
Cathleen was the 9581st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 10 babies. Its best year was 1956, when it ranked 251st; the most babies were born in 1958 (1,159). Over the last ten years it has moved down 3,512 places. More babies were named Cathleen in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Kathleen) Irish form of Catherine · Irish, Greek
- Rank in 2025
- #9,581 girls, down 519 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 10girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19581,159 babies
- Total since 1880
- 29,933babies recorded
What does the name Cathleen mean?
Cathleen is a spelling of Kathleen, pronounced the same way, so it shares Kathleen's meaning and origin.
Kathleen is the anglicized form of Irish Caitlín, the Irish equivalent of Catherine, as Wiktionary notes; Caitlín itself came from Norman French Cateline. Catherine is from Greek Aikaterinē, of uncertain origin, and DMNES notes it is unrelated to katharos 'pure'. Kathleen was a favorite name among Irish emigrant families and was very common in the US in the mid-20th century.
Caitlín (Irish, “Catherine”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Caitlin, Catherine, Kathy, Kate, Kathlyn.
See also: Irish names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Kathleen', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Katherine', DMNES (Durham University)
Cathleen popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 10 since 1953.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #9,581 | 10 |
| 2020 | #9,062 | 11 |
| 2010 | #6,225 | 21 |
| 2000 | #2,638 | 56 |
| 1990 | #1,265 | 129 |
| 1980 | #840 | 186 |
| 1970 | #375 | 636 |
| 1960 | #304 | 950 |
| 1950 | #280 | 759 |
| 1940 | #645 | 116 |
| 1930 | #971 | 57 |
| 1920 | #1,042 | 51 |
| 1910 | #833 | 27 |
| 1900 | #1,758 | 6 |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Cathleen, counting every spelling?
Cathleen is a spelling of Kathleen, a name family that ranked #1,002 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #9,581 for Cathleen on its own. Together these spellings went to 239 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kathleen | 201 | #1,156 | 1,162 |
| Kathlyn | 28 | #4,818 | 116 |
| Cathleen | 10 | #9,581 | 53 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Cathleen?
10 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Cathleen (0.00 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Cathleen born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 831 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Cathleen.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Cathleen?
About 23,600 people born in the US named Cathleen are alive today, with a median age of 64; half are between 55 and 71. That makes Cathleen a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Cathleen: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Cathleen, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Cathleen
What does Cathleen mean?
Cathleen is a spelling of Kathleen, which means “Irish form of Catherine” (Irish, Greek origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Cathleen?
Cathleen was the 9581st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 10 babies. Its best year was 1956, when it ranked 251st; the most babies were born in 1958 (1,159). Over the last ten years it has moved down 3,512 places. More babies were named Cathleen in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Is Cathleen a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Cathleen in the US.