Total births
112,143
Girls' name · since 1955
Caitlin
Since 1955, U.S. Social Security records show 112,143 babies named Caitlin, peaking in 1988. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #1688
- among girls today
- 112,143
- born since 1955
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 90%
- more common than other girls
112,143 babies have been named Caitlin since 1955, making it today's #1688 girls' name.
Caitlin has 112,143 recorded births among girls since 1955, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #1688 as of the latest data, more common than 90% of girls, busiest in the 1990s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1955 to 2025.
- #1688 among girls today
- 112,143 born since 1955
- 1990s peak decade
- 90% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Caitlin is currently the #1688 girls' name in America, more common than 90% of girls - 112,143 born since 1955, peaking in the 1990s.
- #1688
- among girls today
- 112,143
- born since 1955
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 90%
- more common than other girls
Caitlin vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1688
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 90% of names given to girls today.
1990s
Peak decade
44% of everyone ever named Caitlin was born in this single decade.
1988
Single peak year
7,246 babies were named Caitlin in 1988 - its busiest year on record.
How Caitlin compares
112,143 Top 2% higher than 98% 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
Caitlin's all-time total is 294x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Caitlin | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 112,143 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 7,246 | 48 | 19,840 |
Caitlin's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Caitlin's full recorded timeline at 1990, 69% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 31% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1955, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1988 peak of 7,246 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Caitlin at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1988
Current rank
#1,688
Active since
1955
Caitlin popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1955–2025
- Peak year (1988)
- 7,246
- Annual births at peak, across 71 years of records
Caitlin popularity over time - boys
283 total births recorded since 1981 (Caitlin as boys' name)
Caitlin by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Caitlin's strongest decade.
49,033 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 44% of all-time use.
Caitlin births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1950s 46
1950s
46 births
- 1960s 410
1960s
410 births
- 1970s 1,277
1970s
1,277 births
- 1980s
1980s
33,584 births
- 1990s
1990s
49,033 births
- 2000s
2000s
22,298 births
- 2010s 4,935
2010s
4,935 births
- 2020s 560
2020s
560 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 49,033 births (44% of all-time use).
How Caitlin 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 Caitlin's total volume
Caitlin vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Caitlin by state
Where Caitlin concentrates geographically, total births since 1955
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 10,727 | 9.6% |
| #2 | New York | | 9,156 | 8.2% |
| #3 | Texas | | 6,349 | 5.7% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 6,020 | 5.4% |
| #5 | Massachusetts | | 5,356 | 4.8% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 5,099 | 4.5% |
| #7 | Florida | | 4,882 | 4.4% |
| #8 | Ohio | | 4,723 | 4.2% |
California share of Caitlin's total US births 9.6%
Even split
10,727 of 112,143 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Caitlin appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Caitlin? ▼
Since 1955, Social Security records show 112,143 babies named Caitlin. Today it holds rank #1688 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1988, with 7,246 births.
When was Caitlin most popular? ▼
Caitlin was most popular in the 1990s decade with 49,033 total births. The single peak year was 1988.
Where is Caitlin most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Caitlin are California (10,727 births), New York (9,156 births), Texas (6,349 births).
How long has the name Caitlin been used? ▼
Records for Caitlin go back to 1955, giving 71 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Caitlin? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Caitlyn, Cailyn, Caitlynn, Cailey, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Caitlin's data
- Caitlin's decade-level peak was the 1990s (49,033 total births); usage has since declined to 560 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Caitlins (10,727 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 Caitlin
Nearby Names Like Caitlin
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Caitlin
Caitlyn Girl
#2352 52,603 births
Cailyn Girl
#3297 5,549 births
Caitlynn Girl
#7735 4,947 births
Cailey Girl
#5356 3,857 births
Cailin Girl
#7687 3,713 births
Compare Caitlin side by side: Caitlin vs Caitlyn Caitlin vs Cailyn Caitlin vs Caitlynn
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Caitlin
Rochel #1687
4,023 births · Peak 2025
Yehudis #1689
2,397 births · Peak 2025
Asia #1686
32,491 births · Peak 1997
Cambria #1690
6,206 births · Peak 2012
Carlee #1685
12,982 births · Peak 2009
Halima #1691
2,310 births · Peak 2024
Echo #1684
4,829 births · Peak 1984
Alessa #1692
3,005 births · Peak 2016
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, 1955–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Caitlin: #1688 Girls' Name - 112,143 Births, Peak 1988." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/caitlin. 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 Caitlin 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.