Girl · #2,988 in 2026

Kathlyn

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

Kathlyn is a feminine given name. Notable people with the name include:Kathlyn Curtis, Canadian judge Kathlyn Gilliam (1930–2011), American civil rights activist Kathlyn Kelly (1919–2006), American athlete Kathlyn Ragg, Fijian cyclist Kathlyn Williams (1879–1960), American actress

English

Current Rank

#2,988

Peak Rank

#557 (1951)

Total Babies

5-Yr Trend

+233%

1897

First Year

2026

Last Year

1951

Peak Year

#557

Peak Rank

Total Count

128

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Kathlyn

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

English

The Story of Kathlyn

American parents first put Kathlyn on the record books as a baby girl name in 1897, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1951, when 125 Kathlyns were born — ranking #794 that year. As of 2026, Kathlyn ranks #2,988 for baby girls with 55 births, rising sharply (+233% over the past five years). All told, over 5K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1890s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Variants & Related Forms of Kathlyn

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Kathlyn. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Kathleen

Names that sound like Kathlyn

Phonetically similar names — useful when Kathlyn 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 Kathlyn

What does the name Kathlyn mean?

What is the origin of the name Kathlyn?

Kathlyn has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English.

How popular is Kathlyn in 2026?

In 2026, Kathlyn ranks #2,988 among girls' names in the U.S., with 55 babies given the name that year.

When was Kathlyn most popular?

Kathlyn reached its peak popularity in 1951, ranking #557 that year with 125 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Kathlyn most popular?

Kathlyn has historically been most popular in Iowa, Wisconsin, Indiana. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Kathlyn.

Is Kathlyn a unisex name?

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

What names go well with Kathlyn?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Kathlyn include Vella, Sydni, Kenisha. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

What are nicknames or variants of Kathlyn?

Common variants and related forms of Kathlyn include Kathleen. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

About the name Kathlyn

Kathlyn is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1897 and has accumulated 5K births in the dataset. Kathlyn's peak popularity came in 1951 when it ranked #557. Use the chart and map above to compare Kathlyn'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.