Kathlyn
Kathlyn was the 4818th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 28 babies. Its best year was 1914, when it ranked 559th; the most babies were born in 1951 (125). Over the last ten years it has moved up 1,115 places. More babies were named Kathlyn in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Kathleen) Irish form of Catherine · Irish, Greek
- Rank in 2025
- #4,818 girls, up 5,869 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 28girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1951125 babies
- Total since 1880
- 5,156babies recorded
What does the name Kathlyn mean?
Kathlyn 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)
Kathlyn popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #4,818 | 28 |
| 2020 | #10,687 | 9 |
| 2010 | #8,085 | 15 |
| 2000 | #2,761 | 53 |
| 1990 | #2,358 | 53 |
| 1980 | #2,954 | 30 |
| 1970 | #2,816 | 25 |
| 1960 | #1,530 | 53 |
| 1950 | #878 | 102 |
| 1940 | #1,305 | 33 |
| 1930 | #1,335 | 33 |
| 1920 | #900 | 66 |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | #1,137 | 12 |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Kathlyn, counting every spelling?
Kathlyn is a spelling of Kathleen, a name family that ranked #1,002 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #4,818 for Kathlyn 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 Kathlyn?
28 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Kathlyn (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Kathlyn 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 298 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Kathlyn.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Kathlyn?
About 3,200 people born in the US named Kathlyn are alive today, with a median age of 51; half are between 31 and 73. That makes Kathlyn mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
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.
Kathlyn by state
How common Kathlyn was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. In 47 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 Kathlyn: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Kathlyn, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Kathlyn
What does Kathlyn mean?
Kathlyn is a spelling of Kathleen, which means “Irish form of Catherine” (Irish, Greek origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Kathlyn?
Kathlyn was the 4818th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 28 babies. Its best year was 1914, when it ranked 559th; the most babies were born in 1951 (125). Over the last ten years it has moved up 1,115 places. More babies were named Kathlyn in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Is Kathlyn a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Kathlyn in the US.
Where is Kathlyn most popular?
In 2021–2025, Kathlyn was most common in Texas (0.01 per 1,000 girls), followed by California and Florida.