Total births
5,156
Girls' name · since 1897
Kathlyn
Since 1897, U.S. Social Security records show 5,156 babies named Kathlyn, peaking in 1951. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #2726
- among girls today
- 5,156
- born since 1897
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 85%
- more common than other girls
Kathlyn currently ranks #2726 among girls' names in America, with 5,156 babies recorded since 1897.
Social Security Administration records show Kathlyn recorded 5,156 times among girls since 1897, holding rank #2726 nationally today, ahead of 85% of girls, 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 1897 to 2025.
- #2726 among girls today
- 5,156 born since 1897
- 1950s peak decade
- 85% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Kathlyn is currently the #2726 girls' name in America, more common than 85% of girls - 5,156 born since 1897, peaking in the 1950s.
- #2726
- among girls today
- 5,156
- born since 1897
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 85%
- more common than other girls
Kathlyn vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#2726
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 85% of names given to girls today.
1950s
Peak decade
17% of everyone ever named Kathlyn was born in this single decade.
1951
Single peak year
125 babies were named Kathlyn in 1951 - its busiest year on record.
How Kathlyn compares
5,156 Top 13% higher than 87% 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
Kathlyn's all-time total is 13x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kathlyn | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 5,156 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 125 | 48 | 19,840 |
Kathlyn's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Kathlyn's full recorded timeline at 1962, 39% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 61% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1897, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1951 peak of 125 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Kathlyn at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1951
Current rank
#2,726
Active since
1897
Kathlyn popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1897–2025
- Peak year (1951)
- 125
- Annual births at peak, across 129 years of records
Kathlyn by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Kathlyn's strongest decade.
851 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 17% of all-time use.
Kathlyn births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 20
1890s
20 births
- 1900s 76
1900s
76 births
- 1910s
1910s
565 births
- 1920s
1920s
512 births
- 1930s 268
1930s
268 births
- 1940s
1940s
728 births
- 1950s
1950s
851 births
- 1960s
1960s
382 births
- 1970s 223
1970s
223 births
- 1980s
1980s
382 births
- 1990s
1990s
489 births
- 2000s
2000s
383 births
- 2010s 152
2010s
152 births
- 2020s 125
2020s
125 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 851 births (17% of all-time use).
How Kathlyn 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 Kathlyn's total volume
Kathlyn vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Kathlyn by state
Where Kathlyn concentrates geographically, total births since 1897
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 362 | 7.0% |
| #2 | Texas | | 237 | 4.6% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 203 | 3.9% |
| #4 | New York | | 144 | 2.8% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 132 | 2.6% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 89 | 1.7% |
| #7 | Wisconsin | | 47 | 0.9% |
| #8 | Pennsylvania | | 42 | 0.8% |
California share of Kathlyn's total US births 7.0%
Even split
362 of 5,156 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 22 reporting states.
Kathlyn appears in 22 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kathlyn? ▼
5,156 babies have been named Kathlyn since 1897. It currently ranks #2726 among girls. The peak year was 1951 with 125 births.
When was Kathlyn most popular? ▼
Kathlyn was most popular in the 1950s decade with 851 total births. The single peak year was 1951.
Where is Kathlyn most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Kathlyn are California (362 births), Texas (237 births), Illinois (203 births).
How long has the name Kathlyn been used? ▼
Kathlyn has been recorded in Social Security data since 1897, spanning 129 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Kathlyn? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Kathleen, Katherine, Kathryn, Kathy, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Kathlyn's data
- Kathlyn's decade-level peak was the 1950s (851 total births); usage has since declined to 125 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Kathlyns (362 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 Kathlyn
Nearby Names Like Kathlyn
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kathlyn
Kathleen Girl
#1099 713,645 births
Katherine Girl
#175 650,926 births
Kathryn Girl
#714 455,423 births
Kathy Girl
#2699 334,131 births
Katie Girl
#576 241,285 births
Compare Kathlyn side by side: Kathlyn vs Kathleen Kathlyn vs Katherine Kathlyn vs Kathryn
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kathlyn
Lynette #2725
43,392 births · Peak 1965
Halley #2727
4,112 births · Peak 1986
Francisca #2724
12,582 births · Peak 1928
Stacey #2728
147,750 births · Peak 1971
Susannah #2723
7,784 births · Peak 1975
Aster #2729
752 births · Peak 2022
Essie #2722
39,682 births · Peak 1921
Jaclyn #2730
49,632 births · Peak 1988
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, 1897–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Kathlyn: #2726 Girls' Name - 5,156 Births, Peak 1951." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/kathlyn. 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 Kathlyn 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.