ESC Name Rank Total Searching... No names found Try searching for: Emma, Liam, Olivia, Noah... 1971 First Year 2026 Last Year 1995 Peak Year #93 Peak Rank 57K Total Count 55 Years Active 🌍 ## Meaning & Origin of Kaitlin 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, Kaytlyn, Kaitlyne, Katelyn and Katelynn. Source: [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caitlin) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caitlin) ### Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name) * English [![Wikipedia thumbnail for Kaitlin](https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0b/Caitlin%27s_name_badge_%282722635443%29.jpg/330px-Caitlin%27s_name_badge_%282722635443%29.jpg?utm_source=en.wikipedia.org&utm_campaign=api&utm_content=thumbnail)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caitlin) 📖 ## The Story of Kaitlin The earliest SSA record of Kaitlin as a baby girl name dates back to 1971, when 8 babies received it. 1995 was its biggest year on record, with 3,602 newborns named Kaitlin — #94 in the national rankings. The 1990s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 54% of all recorded Kaitlins. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #5,783 among baby girl names with 21 births, falling sharply (-55%). In total, more than 57K Kaitlins have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s. ## Popularity Over Time ## Popularity by State ME WA MT ND MN WI MI NY VT NH MA OR ID SD IA IL IN OH PA NJ CT RI CA NV WY NE MO KY WV VA MD DE DC UT CO KS AR TN NC SC AK AZ NM OK LA MS AL GA HI TX FL Top 10 11-50 51-100 101-500 500+ No data 🔗 ## Variants & Related Forms of Kaitlin Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Kaitlin. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. * [Caetlin](/caetlin) * [Caitlin](/caitlin) * [Caitlyn](/caitlyn) * [Kaitlyn](/kaitlyn) * [Kaitlynn](/kaitlynn) * [Katelin](/katelin) * [Katelyn](/katelyn) * [Katelynn](/katelynn) * [Katlyn](/katlyn) 🎶 ## Names that sound like Kaitlin Phonetically similar names — useful when Kaitlin is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. * [Caitlin](/caitlin) * [Kaitlyn](/kaitlyn) * [Caitlyn](/caitlyn) * [Katelynn](/katelynn) * [Katelin](/katelin) * [Kaitlynn](/kaitlynn) * [Katlyn](/katlyn) * [Catlin](/catlin) * [Kaylynn](/kaylynn) * [Kailyn](/kailyn) * [Cailin](/cailin) * [Kaolin](/kaolin) Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. ❓ ## Frequently Asked Questions about Kaitlin What does the name Kaitlin mean? 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, Kaytlyn, Kaitlyne, Katelyn and Katelynn. What is the origin of the name Kaitlin? Kaitlin has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English. How popular is Kaitlin in 2026? In 2026, Kaitlin ranks #5,783 among girls' names in the U.S., with 21 babies given the name that year. When was Kaitlin most popular? Kaitlin reached its peak popularity in 1995, ranking #93 that year with 3,602 babies given the name. In which U.S. states is Kaitlin most popular? Kaitlin has historically been most popular in Rhode Island, Wyoming, Connecticut. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Kaitlin. Is Kaitlin a unisex name? In U.S. Social Security records, Kaitlin is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name. What names go well with Kaitlin? Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Kaitlin include Colleen, Monique, Krista. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data. What are nicknames or variants of Kaitlin? Common variants and related forms of Kaitlin include Caetlin, Caitlin, Caitlyn, Kaitlyn, Kaitlynn, Katelin. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms. ## Similar Names [👧ColleenPeak #93](/colleen)[👧MoniquePeak #93](/monique)[👧KristaPeak #93](/krista)[👧NicholePeak #93](/nichole)[👧MandyPeak #94](/mandy)[👧GraciePeak #94](/gracie)[👧DesireePeak #94](/desiree)[👧JuniperPeak #92](/juniper) ## About the name Kaitlin Kaitlin is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1971 and has accumulated 57K births in the dataset. Kaitlin's peak popularity came in 1995 when it ranked #93\. Use the chart and map above to compare Kaitlin's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices. ### Continue exploring * [ Top names of 1995 → ](/year/1995) * [ Names of the 1990s → ](/decade/1990s) * [ Names starting with "K" → ](/letter/k) * [ Browse all girl names → ](/names/girls) * [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026) Data sources * Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. [Social Security Administration ](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/). 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 ](https://www.behindthename.com/) (used under their public API terms). * Meaning prose and editorial summary — [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/) article extracts, licensed under [CC BY-SA 3.0 ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/). * Predicted nationality distribution — [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/). * Phonetically similar names — [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). 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.