Declining since 2009, #3,712 for girls today.
Popularity of Cailyn since 1979
Babies named Cailyn per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1970s | 5 |
| 1980s | 120 |
| 1990s | 857 |
| 2000s | 2,445 |
| 2010s | 1,791 |
| 2020s | 331 |
Meaning & origin
Cailyn is a modern invented name that first appeared in U.S. birth records in 1979. It reached its peak popularity in 2009, ranking much higher than its current position of 3712 in 2025. The name has been in decline since 2009, reflecting a broader shift away from -lyn suffixed names. Approximately 1 in 40,182 baby girls were named Cailyn in 2025. The name was most common in Georgia and Texas, suggesting a southern preference. Cailyn is part of a wave of creative spellings and melodic names that defined American naming trends in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Cailyn is a modern coinage that emerged in the United States in the late 20th century. It combines phonetic elements from names like Kay and Lynn, following a popular pattern for feminine names in the -lyn family. Its rise in the 1990s and 2000s reflects broader trends in American naming practices, where invented names with melodic endings gained popularity.
Where Cailyn is most popular
Births per 100,000 girls by state. Press play or drag the slider to watch it move across the decades. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Cai, Caily, Lyn
Sibling names for Cailyn
Names that share Cailyn's style, for a brother or sister.
