Total births
713,645
Girls' name · since 1880
Kathleen
713,645 babies named Kathleen in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1951. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1099
- among girls today
- 713,645
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other girls
Kathleen currently ranks #1099 among girls' names in America, with 713,645 babies recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Kathleen has been recorded 713,645 times among girls since 1880, currently ranked #1099 nationally and more common than 94% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1950s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #1099 among girls today
- 713,645 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 94% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Kathleen is currently the #1099 girls' name in America, more common than 94% of girls - 713,645 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #1099
- among girls today
- 713,645
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other girls
Kathleen vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1099
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 94% of names given to girls today.
1950s
Peak decade
31% of everyone ever named Kathleen was born in this single decade.
1951
Single peak year
26,716 babies were named Kathleen in 1951 - its busiest year on record.
How Kathleen compares
713,645 Top 0% higher than 100% 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
Kathleen's all-time total is 1,868x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kathleen | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 713,645 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 26,716 | 48 | 19,840 |
Kathleen's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Kathleen splits its recorded history at 1953: 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 1881 (13 births) -- compare that against the 1951 peak of 26,716 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Kathleen at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1951
Current rank
#1,099
Active since
1880
Kathleen popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1951)
- 26,716
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Kathleen popularity over time - boys
1,691 total births recorded since 1915 (Kathleen as boys' name)
Kathleen by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Kathleen's strongest decade.
224,342 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 31% of all-time use.
Kathleen births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 389
1880s
389 births
- 1890s 1,942
1890s
1,942 births
- 1900s 3,924
1900s
3,924 births
- 1910s 16,592
1910s
16,592 births
- 1920s 33,597
1920s
33,597 births
- 1930s 34,550
1930s
34,550 births
- 1940s
1940s
152,981 births
- 1950s
1950s
224,342 births
- 1960s
1960s
120,952 births
- 1970s 44,847
1970s
44,847 births
- 1980s 39,394
1980s
39,394 births
- 1990s 24,846
1990s
24,846 births
- 2000s 10,065
2000s
10,065 births
- 2010s 3,809
2010s
3,809 births
- 2020s 1,415
2020s
1,415 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 224,342 births (31% of all-time use).
How Kathleen 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 Kathleen's total volume
Kathleen vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Kathleen by state
Where Kathleen concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 91,651 | 12.8% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 62,495 | 8.8% |
| #3 | California | | 60,932 | 8.5% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 48,681 | 6.8% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 40,561 | 5.7% |
| #6 | Massachusetts | | 39,421 | 5.5% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 38,756 | 5.4% |
| #8 | New Jersey | | 35,950 | 5.0% |
New York share of Kathleen's total US births 12.8%
Even split
91,651 of 713,645 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Kathleen appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kathleen? ▼
Kathleen has been given to 713,645 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #1099 as of the latest data. 26,716 babies were born in 1951, its single highest year.
When was Kathleen most popular? ▼
Kathleen was most popular in the 1950s decade with 224,342 total births. The single peak year was 1951.
Where is Kathleen most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Kathleen are New York (91,651 births), Pennsylvania (62,495 births), California (60,932 births).
How long has the name Kathleen been used? ▼
Records for Kathleen go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Kathleen? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Katherine, Kathryn, Kathy, Katie, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Kathleen's data
- Kathleen's decade-level peak was the 1950s (224,342 total births); usage has since declined to 1,415 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Kathleens (91,651 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Kathleen
Nearby Names Like Kathleen
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kathleen
Katherine Girl
#175 650,926 births
Kathryn Girl
#714 455,423 births
Kathy Girl
#2699 334,131 births
Katie Girl
#576 241,285 births
Katelyn Girl
#927 134,049 births
Compare Kathleen side by side: Kathleen vs Katherine Kathleen vs Kathryn Kathleen vs Kathy
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kathleen
Adela #1098
14,105 births · Peak 2015
Lesly #1100
15,281 births · Peak 2003
Kacey #1097
11,961 births · Peak 1991
Dania #1101
8,818 births · Peak 2007
Wendy #1096
262,325 births · Peak 1967
Xochitl #1102
6,116 births · Peak 2024
Sally #1095
205,229 births · Peak 1947
Zola #1103
9,286 births · Peak 2018
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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Kathleen: #1099 Girls' Name - 713,645 Births, Peak 1951." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/kathleen. 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 Kathleen 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.