Girls' name · since 1946
Kathlen
Since 1946, U.S. Social Security records show 85 babies named Kathlen, peaking in 1951. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #28,961 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 85
- born since 1946
- 1950s
- peak decade
Kathlen sits outside today's top ranks for girls, with 85 recorded since 1946.
Social Security Administration records show Kathlen recorded 85 times among girls since 1946, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used girls names, 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 1946 to 1999.
- #28,961 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 85 born since 1946
- 1950s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Kathlen ranks #28,961 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 85 born since 1946, peaking in the 1950s.
- #28,961 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 85
- born since 1946
- 1950s
- peak decade
Kathlen's 85 recorded births place it above 59.84% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.
Kathlen's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Kathlen splits its recorded history at 1953: 47% of all births land in the more recent half, 53% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1946 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1951 peak of 10 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Kathlen popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1946–1999
- Peak year (1951)
- 10
- Annual births at peak, across 54 years of records
Kathlen by decade
1950s is the heaviest window (40 births, 47% of the file).
1950s was Kathlen's strongest decade.
40 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 47% of all-time use.
Kathlen births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1940s
1940s
22 births
- 1950s
1950s
40 births
- 1960s 13
1960s
13 births
- 1990s 10
1990s
10 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 40 births (47% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kathlen? ▼
Where does Kathlen sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Kathlen most popular? ▼
How long has the name Kathlen been used? ▼
What names are similar to Kathlen? ▼
What to do with Kathlen's data
- Kathlen's decade-level peak was the 1950s (40 total births); usage has since declined to 10 in the 1990s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Kathlen
Nearby Names Like Kathlen
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kathlen
Compare Kathlen side by side: Kathlen vs Kathleen Kathlen vs Katherine Kathlen vs Kathryn
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Kathlen: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1951)
Similar record span (~53 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, 1946–1999 (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 Kathlen 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.