Girl · #14,411 in 2026

Kathlen

Name: Popularity of the name Kathlen in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Kathlen, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Current Rank

#14,411

Peak Rank

#3,481 (1951)

Total Babies

5-Yr Trend

Stable

1946

First Year

1999

Last Year

1951

Peak Year

#3481

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

The Story of Kathlen

Kathlen first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1946, with 5 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1951: 10 births, good for #3,481 nationwide. About 47% of every Kathlen on record arrived during the 1950s, its defining decade. Kathlen last appeared in the published SSA data in 1999, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 85 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1940s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Kathlen

Phonetically similar names — useful when Kathlen 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 Kathlen

What does the name Kathlen mean?

Kathlen is a girl's name that has been used in U.S. records since 1946. Behind the Name doesn't list a specific etymology, but the name has remained in use across multiple decades.

How popular is Kathlen in 2026?

In 2026, Kathlen ranks #14,411 among girls' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.

When was Kathlen most popular?

Kathlen reached its peak popularity in 1951, ranking #3,481 that year with 10 babies given the name.

Is Kathlen a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Kathlen is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.

What names go well with Kathlen?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Kathlen include Forrestine, Christella, Alvetta. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Kathlen

Kathlen is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1946 and has accumulated 85 births in the dataset. Kathlen's peak popularity came in 1951 when it ranked #3,481. Use the chart and map above to compare Kathlen's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.