Holding steady.
Popularity of Kerilyn since 1962
Babies named Kerilyn per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1960s | 16 |
| 1970s | 104 |
| 1980s | 130 |
| 1990s | 86 |
| 2000s | 14 |
| 2010s | 5 |
| 2020s | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Kerilyn first entered U.S. birth records in 1962, but it reached its peak popularity in 1988. Although it has never been a top-tier name, it enjoyed modest use during the 1980s, a decade when compound names with the -lyn suffix were fashionable. After 1988, its usage declined steadily, and by the 2020s it became rare, with fewer than five births per year in most years. The name's trajectory has been stable at very low levels since the early 2000s. Kerilyn's top states of use, while not heavily concentrated, suggest a slight preference in the Midwest and Northeast, though no state recorded more than a handful of births. Overall, Kerilyn remains a distinctive choice, reflecting the mid-century trend of blending familiar name elements.
Kerilyn is a modern invented name, blending Kerry (an anglicized form of the Irish name Ciarán, meaning 'little dark one') with Lynn (from Welsh llyn, meaning 'lake', or a variant of Linda). It emerged in the mid-20th century as part of the trend of compound feminine names using the popular suffix -lyn.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Keri, Kerry, Lyn, Lin
Variants: Karilyn, Kerri-Lyn, Kerrylyn
Sibling names for Kerilyn
Names that share Kerilyn's style, for a brother or sister.
