Kathleen vs Katherine

Side-by-side comparison of Kathleen and Katherine — popularity rank, total births, peak decade, and historical trends from Social Security Administration data.

Name A

Kathleen

Girl name · Rank #1107

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Name B

Katherine

Girl name · Rank #175

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Which name is more popular?

Metric Kathleen Katherine
Current Rank #1107 #175
Total Births (all years) 713,438 649,238
Peak Year 1951 1990
Peak Year Births 26,716 11,627
Peak Decade 1950ss 1980ss
Gender Girl Girl
First Recorded Year 1880 1880

Births by Decade

Decade Kathleen Katherine
1880ss 389 6,922
1890ss 1,942 9,408
1900ss 3,924 12,105
1910ss 16,592 36,884
1920ss 33,597 42,745
1930ss 34,550 25,193
1940ss 152,981 39,911
1950ss 224,341 66,854
1960ss 120,950 50,618
1970ss 44,846 54,052
1980ss 39,395 99,176
1990ss 24,847 96,885
2000ss 10,065 65,355
2010ss 3,808 34,139
2020ss 1,211 8,991

Recent Annual Births (2014–present)

Year Kathleen Katherine
2014 422 3,689
2015 341 3,454
2016 340 3,275
2017 314 2,861
2018 306 2,676
2019 280 2,450
2020 253 1,991
2021 262 1,819
2022 228 1,738
2023 248 1,703
2024 220 1,740

Data Sources

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications — National Data, ssa.gov/oact/babynames.
Source: SSA Annual Name Rankings, 1880–2024.

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