Total births
3,713
Girls' name · since 1968
Cailin
Cailin has 3,713 recorded births since 1968 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2003 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #7687
- among girls today
- 3,713
- born since 1968
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 57%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Cailin is the #7687 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 3,713 recorded since 1968.
Social Security Administration records show Cailin recorded 3,713 times among girls since 1968, holding rank #7687 nationally today, ahead of 57% of girls, peaking in the 2000s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1968 to 2025.
- #7687 among girls today
- 3,713 born since 1968
- 2000s peak decade
- 57% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Cailin is currently the #7687 girls' name in America, more common than 57% of girls - 3,713 born since 1968, peaking in the 2000s.
- #7687
- among girls today
- 3,713
- born since 1968
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 57%
- more common than other girls
Cailin vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#7687
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 57% of names given to girls today.
2000s
Peak decade
38% of everyone ever named Cailin was born in this single decade.
2003
Single peak year
164 babies were named Cailin in 2003 - its busiest year on record.
How Cailin compares
3,713 Top 16% higher than 84% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Cailin's all-time total is 10x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Cailin | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 3,713 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 164 | 48 | 19,840 |
Cailin's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Cailin's full recorded timeline at 1999, 61% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 39% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1973, with just 6 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2003 peak of 164 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Cailin at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2003
Current rank
#7,687
Active since
1968
Cailin popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1968–2025
- Peak year (2003)
- 164
- Annual births at peak, across 58 years of records
Cailin popularity over time - boys
30 total births recorded since 1996 (Cailin as boys' name)
Cailin by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Cailin's strongest decade.
1,425 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 38% of all-time use.
Cailin births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1960s 9
1960s
9 births
- 1970s 53
1970s
53 births
- 1980s 423
1980s
423 births
- 1990s
1990s
1,079 births
- 2000s
2000s
1,425 births
- 2010s
2010s
604 births
- 2020s 120
2020s
120 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 1,425 births (38% of all-time use).
How Cailin compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Cailin's total volume
Cailin vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Cailin by state
Where Cailin concentrates geographically, total births since 1968
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 412 | 11.1% |
| #2 | New York | | 232 | 6.2% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 159 | 4.3% |
| #4 | Massachusetts | | 142 | 3.8% |
| #5 | Texas | | 125 | 3.4% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 120 | 3.2% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 94 | 2.5% |
| #8 | Florida | | 92 | 2.5% |
California share of Cailin's total US births 11.1%
Even split
412 of 3,713 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 26 reporting states.
Cailin appears in 26 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Cailin? ▼
Since 1968, Social Security records show 3,713 babies named Cailin. Today it holds rank #7687 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 2003, with 164 births.
When was Cailin most popular? ▼
Cailin was most popular in the 2000s decade with 1,425 total births. The single peak year was 2003.
Where is Cailin most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Cailin are California (412 births), New York (232 births), Pennsylvania (159 births).
How long has the name Cailin been used? ▼
Cailin has been recorded in Social Security data since 1968, spanning 58 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Cailin? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Caitlin, Caitlyn, Cailyn, Caitlynn, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Cailin's data
- Cailin's decade-level peak was the 2000s (1,425 total births); usage has since declined to 120 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Cailins (412 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Cailin
Nearby Names Like Cailin
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Cailin
Caitlin Girl
#1688 112,143 births
Caitlyn Girl
#2352 52,603 births
Cailyn Girl
#3297 5,549 births
Caitlynn Girl
#7735 4,947 births
Cailey Girl
#5356 3,857 births
Compare Cailin side by side: Cailin vs Caitlin Cailin vs Caitlyn Cailin vs Cailyn
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Cailin
Luzmaria #7686
825 births · Peak 2009
Yamilett #7688
482 births · Peak 2005
Lyndsey #7685
14,388 births · Peak 1990
Yumiko #7689
290 births · Peak 2025
Odalis #7684
2,645 births · Peak 1998
Bronte #7690
914 births · Peak 1992
Kalee #7683
3,883 births · Peak 1999
Galadriel #7691
234 births · Peak 2003
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1968–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Cailin: #7687 Girls' Name - 3,713 Births, Peak 2003." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/cailin. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Cailin draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.