A 1910s favorite, climbing again.
Popularity of Kathlyn since 1897
Babies named Kathlyn per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1951, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Kathlyn's real moment was 1914.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 20 |
| 1900s | 76 |
| 1910s | 565 |
| 1920s | 512 |
| 1930s | 268 |
| 1940s | 728 |
| 1950s | 851 |
| 1960s | 382 |
| 1970s | 223 |
| 1980s | 382 |
| 1990s | 489 |
| 2000s | 383 |
| 2010s | 152 |
| 2020s | 125 |
Meaning & origin
Kathlyn is a name that experienced its peak popularity in 1914, ranking highest in the US that year. After decades of decline, it has been rising again since 2021. With a rank of 4,758 in 2025 and a rarity of about 1 in 57,402 births, it remains a distinctive choice. The name is most common in Texas and reflects a revival of early 20th-century names from the 1910s.
Kathlyn is a 20th-century variant of Kathleen, the anglicized form of the Irish name Caitlín, itself derived from the Norman-French Cateline, ultimately from the Greek Aikaterinē. The name has been associated with the meaning 'pure' since early Christian times, linked to the Greek katharos. Kathlyn emerged in the late 19th century alongside other phonetic spellings like Cathleen and Katelyn.
Where Kathlyn 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: Kat, Kathy, Lyn
Sibling names for Kathlyn
Names that share Kathlyn's style, for a brother or sister.
