Girls' name · since 1934
Karilyn
Since 1934, U.S. Social Security records show 897 babies named Karilyn, peaking in 1978. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #8,086 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 897
- born since 1934
- 1980s
- peak decade
Karilyn is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 897 have been recorded since 1934.
Karilyn has 897 recorded births among girls since 1934, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, busiest in the 1980s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1934 to 2021.
- #8,086 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 897 born since 1934
- 1980s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Karilyn ranks #8,086 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 897 born since 1934, peaking in the 1980s.
- #8,086 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 897
- born since 1934
- 1980s
- peak decade
Karilyn's 897 recorded births place it above 88.82% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 3 jurisdictions, led by Iowa.
Karilyn's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Karilyn splits its recorded history at 1977: 55% of all births land in the more recent half, 45% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 2013 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1978 peak of 32 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Karilyn popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1934–2021
- Peak year (1978)
- 32
- Annual births at peak, across 88 years of records
Karilyn by decade
1980s is the heaviest window (172 births, 19% of the file).
1980s was Karilyn's strongest decade.
172 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 19% of all-time use.
Karilyn births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1930s 23
1930s
23 births
- 1940s
1940s
78 births
- 1950s
1950s
115 births
- 1960s
1960s
109 births
- 1970s
1970s
129 births
- 1980s
1980s
172 births
- 1990s
1990s
117 births
- 2000s
2000s
99 births
- 2010s 50
2010s
50 births
- 2020s 5
2020s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 172 births (19% of all-time use).
How Karilyn 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 Karilyn's total volume
Karilyn by state
Where Karilyn concentrates geographically, total births since 1934
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Iowa | | 12 | 1.3% |
| #2 | California | | 5 | 0.6% |
| #3 | Michigan | | 5 | 0.6% |
12 of 897 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 3 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Karilyn? ▼
Where does Karilyn sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Karilyn most popular? ▼
Where is Karilyn most popular? ▼
How long has the name Karilyn been used? ▼
What names are similar to Karilyn? ▼
What to do with Karilyn's data
- Karilyn's decade-level peak was the 1980s (172 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Iowa records the most Karilyns (12 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Iowa names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Karilyn
Nearby Names Like Karilyn
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Karilyn
Compare Karilyn side by side: Karilyn vs Karen Karilyn vs Kara Karilyn vs Karla
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Karilyn: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1978)
Similar record span (~87 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1934–2021 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Karilyn 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 August 2026.