Caitlin
Caitlin is a feminine given name of Irish origin. Historically, the Irish name Caitlín was anglicized as Cathleen or Kathleen. In the 1970s, however, non-Irish speakers began pronouncing the name according to English spelling rules as KAYT-lin, which led to many variations in spelling such as Caitlin, Ceitlin, Catelynn, Caitlyn, Katlyn, Kaitlin, Kaitlyn, Kaitlyne, Katelyn and Katelynn.
Meaning & Origin of Caitlin
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Caitlin is a feminine given name of Irish origin. Historically, the Irish name Caitlín was anglicized as Cathleen or Kathleen. In the 1970s, however, non-Irish speakers began pronouncing the name according to English spelling rules as KAYT-lin, which led to many variations in spelling such as Caitlin, Ceitlin, Catelynn, Caitlyn, Katlyn, Kaitlin, Kaitlyn, Kaitlyne, Katelyn and Katelynn.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Caitlin
Caitlin first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1955, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1988, when 7,246 Caitlins were born — ranking #44 that year. As of 2026, Caitlin ranks #1,869 for baby girls with 107 births, falling sharply (-25%). In total, more than 112K Caitlins have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1950s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Caitlin
Phonetically similar names — useful when Caitlin is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Caitlin
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About the name Caitlin
Caitlin is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1955 and has accumulated 112K births in the dataset. Caitlin's peak popularity came in 1988 when it ranked #44. Use the chart and map above to compare Caitlin's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1988 →
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- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.