Total births
2,385
Girls' name · since 1924
Karlyn
Karlyn has 2,385 recorded births since 1924 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1992 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #11218
- among girls today
- 2,385
- born since 1924
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 37%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Karlyn is the #11218 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 2,385 recorded since 1924.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Karlyn has been recorded 2,385 times among girls since 1924, currently ranked #11218 nationally and more common than 37% 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 1924 to 2025.
- #11218 among girls today
- 2,385 born since 1924
- 1990s peak decade
- 37% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Karlyn is currently the #11218 girls' name in America, more common than 37% of girls - 2,385 born since 1924, peaking in the 1990s.
- #11218
- among girls today
- 2,385
- born since 1924
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 37%
- more common than other girls
Karlyn vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#11218
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 37% of names given to girls today.
1990s
Peak decade
17% of everyone ever named Karlyn was born in this single decade.
1992
Single peak year
51 babies were named Karlyn in 1992 - its busiest year on record.
How Karlyn compares
2,385 Top 20% higher than 80% 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
Karlyn's all-time total is 6x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Karlyn | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,385 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 51 | 48 | 19,840 |
Karlyn's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Karlyn splits its recorded history at 1978: 58% of all births land in the more recent half, 42% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1924 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1992 peak of 51 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Karlyn at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1992
Current rank
#11,218
Active since
1924
Karlyn popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1924–2025
- Peak year (1992)
- 51
- Annual births at peak, across 102 years of records
Karlyn popularity over time - boys
7 total births recorded since 1996 (Karlyn as boys' name)
Karlyn by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Karlyn's strongest decade.
397 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 17% of all-time use.
Karlyn births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1920s 5
1920s
5 births
- 1930s 100
1930s
100 births
- 1940s
1940s
186 births
- 1950s
1950s
223 births
- 1960s
1960s
300 births
- 1970s
1970s
232 births
- 1980s
1980s
281 births
- 1990s
1990s
397 births
- 2000s
2000s
336 births
- 2010s
2010s
258 births
- 2020s 67
2020s
67 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 397 births (17% of all-time use).
How Karlyn 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 Karlyn's total volume
Karlyn vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Karlyn by state
Where Karlyn concentrates geographically, total births since 1924
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 68 | 2.9% |
| #2 | Illinois | | 10 | 0.4% |
| #3 | Texas | | 7 | 0.3% |
| #4 | Florida | | 5 | 0.2% |
| #5 | Missouri | | 5 | 0.2% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 5 | 0.2% |
California share of Karlyn's total US births 2.9%
Even split
68 of 2,385 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 6 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Karlyn? ▼
Karlyn has been given to 2,385 babies in the U.S. since 1924, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #11218 as of the latest data. 51 babies were born in 1992, its single highest year.
When was Karlyn most popular? ▼
Karlyn was most popular in the 1990s decade with 397 total births. The single peak year was 1992.
Where is Karlyn most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Karlyn are California (68 births), Illinois (10 births), Texas (7 births).
How long has the name Karlyn been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Karlyn since 1924 -- 102 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Karlyn? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Karen, Kara, Karla, Karina, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Karlyn's data
- Karlyn's decade-level peak was the 1990s (397 total births); usage has since declined to 67 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Karlyns (68 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 Karlyn
Nearby Names Like Karlyn
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Karlyn
Karen Girl
#1251 987,989 births
Kara Girl
#990 101,743 births
Karla Girl
#733 91,586 births
Karina Girl
#772 61,464 births
Kari Girl
#1843 59,696 births
Compare Karlyn side by side: Karlyn vs Karen Karlyn vs Kara Karlyn vs Karla
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Karlyn
Merelyn #11217
324 births · Peak 2007
Amarylis #11219
148 births · Peak 2007
Rosealee #11216
255 births · Peak 2021
Marily #11220
875 births · Peak 2005
Louanne #11215
1,787 births · Peak 1953
Daphney #11221
1,513 births · Peak 2001
Katha #11214
409 births · Peak 1949
Mercedez #11222
3,056 births · Peak 1993
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, 1924–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Karlyn: #11218 Girls' Name - 2,385 Births, Peak 1992." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/karlyn. 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 Karlyn 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.