Total births
16,332
Girls' name · since 1882
Cathryn
Since 1882, U.S. Social Security records show 16,332 babies named Cathryn, peaking in 1956. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #6650
- among girls today
- 16,332
- born since 1882
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 62%
- more common than other girls
16,332 babies have been named Cathryn since 1882, making it today's #6650 girls' name.
Social Security Administration records show Cathryn recorded 16,332 times among girls since 1882, holding rank #6650 nationally today, ahead of 62% of girls, peaking in the 1950s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1882 to 2025.
- #6650 among girls today
- 16,332 born since 1882
- 1950s peak decade
- 62% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Cathryn is currently the #6650 girls' name in America, more common than 62% of girls - 16,332 born since 1882, peaking in the 1950s.
- #6650
- among girls today
- 16,332
- born since 1882
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 62%
- more common than other girls
Cathryn vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#6650
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 62% of names given to girls today.
1950s
Peak decade
20% of everyone ever named Cathryn was born in this single decade.
1956
Single peak year
368 babies were named Cathryn in 1956 - its busiest year on record.
How Cathryn compares
16,332 Top 7% higher than 93% 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
Cathryn's all-time total is 43x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Cathryn | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 16,332 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 368 | 48 | 19,840 |
Cathryn's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Cathryn splits its recorded history at 1954: 61% of all births land in the more recent half, 39% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1882 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1956 peak of 368 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Cathryn at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1956
Current rank
#6,650
Active since
1882
Cathryn popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1882–2025
- Peak year (1956)
- 368
- Annual births at peak, across 144 years of records
Cathryn by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Cathryn's strongest decade.
3,271 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Cathryn births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 74
1880s
74 births
- 1890s 183
1890s
183 births
- 1900s 242
1900s
242 births
- 1910s 981
1910s
981 births
- 1920s 1,187
1920s
1,187 births
- 1930s 798
1930s
798 births
- 1940s
1940s
1,637 births
- 1950s
1950s
3,271 births
- 1960s
1960s
2,015 births
- 1970s
1970s
1,352 births
- 1980s
1980s
1,524 births
- 1990s
1990s
1,451 births
- 2000s 1,022
2000s
1,022 births
- 2010s 492
2010s
492 births
- 2020s 103
2020s
103 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 3,271 births (20% of all-time use).
How Cathryn 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 Cathryn's total volume
Cathryn vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Cathryn by state
Where Cathryn concentrates geographically, total births since 1882
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 1,405 | 8.6% |
| #2 | Texas | | 1,152 | 7.1% |
| #3 | New York | | 836 | 5.1% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 775 | 4.7% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 689 | 4.2% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 637 | 3.9% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 514 | 3.1% |
| #8 | Florida | | 378 | 2.3% |
California share of Cathryn's total US births 8.6%
Even split
1,405 of 16,332 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 40 reporting states.
Cathryn appears in 40 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Cathryn? ▼
16,332 babies have been named Cathryn since 1882. It currently ranks #6650 among girls. The peak year was 1956 with 368 births.
When was Cathryn most popular? ▼
Cathryn was most popular in the 1950s decade with 3,271 total births. The single peak year was 1956.
Where is Cathryn most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Cathryn are California (1,405 births), Texas (1,152 births), New York (836 births).
How long has the name Cathryn been used? ▼
Records for Cathryn go back to 1882, giving 144 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Cathryn? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Catherine, Cathy, Catalina, Cathleen, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Cathryn's data
- Cathryn's decade-level peak was the 1950s (3,271 total births); usage has since declined to 103 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Cathryns (1,405 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 Cathryn
Nearby Names Like Cathryn
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Cathryn
Catherine Girl
#322 667,789 births
Cathy Girl
#5993 170,303 births
Catalina Girl
#128 33,009 births
Cathleen Girl
#8463 29,923 births
Catharine Girl
#12162 12,994 births
Compare Cathryn side by side: Cathryn vs Catherine Cathryn vs Cathy Cathryn vs Catalina
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Cathryn
Annabell #6649
6,725 births · Peak 2014
Eleonore #6651
1,088 births · Peak 1923
Rosey #6648
1,288 births · Peak 2020
Loraine #6652
17,284 births · Peak 1922
Gail #6647
201,746 births · Peak 1951
Hila #6653
812 births · Peak 2022
Mame #6646
672 births · Peak 2002
Tomasa #6654
3,198 births · Peak 1925
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, 1882–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Cathryn: #6650 Girls' Name - 16,332 Births, Peak 1956." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/cathryn. 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 Cathryn 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.