Total births
57,355
Girls' name · since 1971
Kaitlin
Since 1971, U.S. Social Security records show 57,355 babies named Kaitlin, peaking in 1995. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #4931
- among girls today
- 57,355
- born since 1971
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 72%
- more common than other girls
Kaitlin currently ranks #4931 among girls' names in America, with 57,355 babies recorded since 1971.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Kaitlin has been recorded 57,355 times among girls since 1971, currently ranked #4931 nationally and more common than 72% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1990s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1971 to 2025.
- #4931 among girls today
- 57,355 born since 1971
- 1990s peak decade
- 72% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Kaitlin is currently the #4931 girls' name in America, more common than 72% of girls - 57,355 born since 1971, peaking in the 1990s.
- #4931
- among girls today
- 57,355
- born since 1971
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 72%
- more common than other girls
Kaitlin vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#4931
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 72% of names given to girls today.
1990s
Peak decade
54% of everyone ever named Kaitlin was born in this single decade.
1995
Single peak year
3,602 babies were named Kaitlin in 1995 - its busiest year on record.
How Kaitlin compares
57,355 Top 3% higher than 97% 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
Kaitlin's all-time total is 150x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kaitlin | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 57,355 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 3,602 | 48 | 19,840 |
Kaitlin's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Kaitlin splits its recorded history at 1999: 28% of all births land in the more recent half, 72% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1973 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1995 peak of 3,602 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Kaitlin at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1995
Current rank
#4,931
Active since
1971
Kaitlin popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1971–2025
- Peak year (1995)
- 3,602
- Annual births at peak, across 55 years of records
Kaitlin popularity over time - boys
75 total births recorded since 1984 (Kaitlin as boys' name)
Kaitlin by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Kaitlin's strongest decade.
30,820 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 54% of all-time use.
Kaitlin births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 166
1970s
166 births
- 1980s
1980s
12,460 births
- 1990s
1990s
30,820 births
- 2000s 11,650
2000s
11,650 births
- 2010s 2,058
2010s
2,058 births
- 2020s 201
2020s
201 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 30,820 births (54% of all-time use).
How Kaitlin 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 Kaitlin's total volume
Kaitlin vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Kaitlin by state
Where Kaitlin concentrates geographically, total births since 1971
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 5,259 | 9.2% |
| #2 | New York | | 4,271 | 7.4% |
| #3 | Texas | | 3,204 | 5.6% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 2,911 | 5.1% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 2,906 | 5.1% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 2,534 | 4.4% |
| #7 | Florida | | 2,498 | 4.4% |
| #8 | New Jersey | | 2,147 | 3.7% |
California share of Kaitlin's total US births 9.2%
Even split
5,259 of 57,355 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Kaitlin appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kaitlin? ▼
Kaitlin has been given to 57,355 babies in the U.S. since 1971, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #4931 as of the latest data. 3,602 babies were born in 1995, its single highest year.
When was Kaitlin most popular? ▼
Kaitlin was most popular in the 1990s decade with 30,820 total births. The single peak year was 1995.
Where is Kaitlin most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Kaitlin are California (5,259 births), New York (4,271 births), Texas (3,204 births).
How long has the name Kaitlin been used? ▼
Kaitlin has been recorded in Social Security data since 1971, spanning 55 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Kaitlin? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Kaitlyn, Kailey, Kaia, Kaitlynn, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Kaitlin's data
- Kaitlin's decade-level peak was the 1990s (30,820 total births); usage has since declined to 201 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Kaitlins (5,259 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 Kaitlin
Nearby Names Like Kaitlin
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kaitlin
Kaitlyn Girl
#650 166,689 births
Kailey Girl
#1285 27,244 births
Kaia Girl
#180 20,909 births
Kaitlynn Girl
#3490 16,419 births
Kaila Girl
#1739 14,556 births
Compare Kaitlin side by side: Kaitlin vs Kaitlyn Kaitlin vs Kailey Kaitlin vs Kaia
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kaitlin
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, 1971–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Kaitlin: #4931 Girls' Name - 57,355 Births, Peak 1995." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/kaitlin. 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 Kaitlin 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.