Katelynn
Katelynn was the 2736th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 63 babies. Its best year was 1998, when it ranked 210th with 1,457 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 2,084 places. More babies were named Katelynn in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Katelyn) variant of Caitlin (Catherine) · Irish, Greek
- Rank in 2025
- #2,736 girls, down 1,264 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 63girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19981,457 babies
- Total since 1880
- 30,691babies recorded
What does the name Katelynn mean?
Katelynn is a spelling of Katelyn, pronounced the same way, so it shares Katelyn's meaning and origin.
Katelyn is an American spelling of Caitlin, as Wiktionary notes. Caitlín is the Irish form of Catherine, taken from the Norman French form Cateline. Catherine comes from Greek Aikaterinē, the name of the early martyr Saint Catherine of Alexandria; its origin is unknown, and the familiar link to Greek katharos 'pure' is a later reinterpretation that changed the spelling to Katharina. Katelyn became popular in the 1990s with other -lyn names.
Caitlín (Irish, “Catherine”)Αἰκατερίνη (Aikaterinē) (Ancient Greek, “Catherine (origin unknown)”)
How sure is this? Probable. Katelyn is clearly a form of Caitlin; the meaning of Catherine is unknown.
Other explanations you may read: Catherine means 'pure' (Greek katharos).
Related names: Caitlin, Kaitlyn, Catherine, Kate.
See also: Irish names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Katelyn', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Caitlin', 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)
Katelynn popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 11 since 1989.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,736 | 63 |
| 2020 | #1,472 | 146 |
| 2010 | #312 | 1,028 |
| 2000 | #229 | 1,388 |
| 1990 | #378 | 695 |
| 1980 | #7,729 | 8 |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Katelynn, counting every spelling?
Katelynn is a spelling of Katelyn, a name family that ranked #884 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #2,736 for Katelynn on its own. Together these spellings went to 288 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Katelyn | 225 | #1,077 | 1,511 |
| Katelynn | 63 | #2,736 | 387 |
| Catelyn | — | — | 27 |
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 Katelynn?
63 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Katelynn (0.02 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Katelynn 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 133 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Katelynn.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Katelynn?
About 30,300 people born in the US named Katelynn are alive today, with a median age of 25; half are between 18 and 30. That makes Katelynn mostly worn by children and young adults.
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.
Katelynn by state
How common Katelynn was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Texas (1.9×). In 40 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Katelynn: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Katelynn, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Katelynn
What does Katelynn mean?
Katelynn is a spelling of Katelyn, which means “variant of Caitlin (Catherine)” (Irish, Greek origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Katelynn?
Katelynn was the 2736th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 63 babies. Its best year was 1998, when it ranked 210th with 1,457 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 2,084 places. More babies were named Katelynn in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Katelynn a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Katelynn in the US.
Where is Katelynn most popular?
In 2021–2025, Katelynn was most common in Mississippi (0.15 per 1,000 girls), followed by Texas and Utah.