Total births
334,131
Girls' name · since 1910
Kathy
Kathy has 334,131 recorded births since 1910 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1958 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #2699
- among girls today
- 334,131
- born since 1910
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 85%
- more common than other girls
334,131 babies have been named Kathy since 1910, making it today's #2699 girls' name.
Social Security Administration records show Kathy recorded 334,131 times among girls since 1910, holding rank #2699 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 1910 to 2025.
- #2699 among girls today
- 334,131 born since 1910
- 1950s peak decade
- 85% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Kathy is currently the #2699 girls' name in America, more common than 85% of girls - 334,131 born since 1910, peaking in the 1950s.
- #2699
- among girls today
- 334,131
- born since 1910
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 85%
- more common than other girls
Kathy vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#2699
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 85% of names given to girls today.
1950s
Peak decade
47% of everyone ever named Kathy was born in this single decade.
1958
Single peak year
23,938 babies were named Kathy in 1958 - its busiest year on record.
How Kathy compares
334,131 Top 1% higher than 99% 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
Kathy's all-time total is 875x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kathy | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 334,131 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 23,938 | 48 | 19,840 |
Kathy's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Kathy's SSA record in two at 1969 and the more recent half accounts for 13% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 87%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1910, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1958 peak of 23,938, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Kathy at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1958
Current rank
#2,699
Active since
1910
Kathy popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1910–2025
- Peak year (1958)
- 23,938
- Annual births at peak, across 116 years of records
Kathy popularity over time - boys
739 total births recorded since 1942 (Kathy as boys' name)
Kathy by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Kathy's strongest decade.
157,930 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 47% of all-time use.
Kathy births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 57
1910s
57 births
- 1920s 198
1920s
198 births
- 1930s 1,254
1930s
1,254 births
- 1940s 34,766
1940s
34,766 births
- 1950s
1950s
157,930 births
- 1960s
1960s
101,127 births
- 1970s 22,706
1970s
22,706 births
- 1980s 6,977
1980s
6,977 births
- 1990s 4,312
1990s
4,312 births
- 2000s 3,021
2000s
3,021 births
- 2010s 1,381
2010s
1,381 births
- 2020s 402
2020s
402 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 157,930 births (47% of all-time use).
How Kathy 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 Kathy's total volume
Kathy vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Kathy by state
Where Kathy concentrates geographically, total births since 1910
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 27,172 | 8.1% |
| #2 | Ohio | | 21,556 | 6.5% |
| #3 | Texas | | 19,076 | 5.7% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 18,440 | 5.5% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 18,076 | 5.4% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 16,313 | 4.9% |
| #7 | New York | | 16,105 | 4.8% |
| #8 | Indiana | | 12,656 | 3.8% |
California share of Kathy's total US births 8.1%
Even split
27,172 of 334,131 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Kathy appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kathy? ▼
Since 1910, Social Security records show 334,131 babies named Kathy. Today it holds rank #2699 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1958, with 23,938 births.
When was Kathy most popular? ▼
Kathy was most popular in the 1950s decade with 157,930 total births. The single peak year was 1958.
Where is Kathy most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Kathy are California (27,172 births), Ohio (21,556 births), Texas (19,076 births).
How long has the name Kathy been used? ▼
Records for Kathy go back to 1910, giving 116 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Kathy? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Kathleen, Katherine, Kathryn, Katie, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Kathy's data
- Kathy's decade-level peak was the 1950s (157,930 total births); usage has since declined to 402 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Kathys (27,172 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 Kathy
Nearby Names Like Kathy
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kathy
Kathleen Girl
#1099 713,645 births
Katherine Girl
#175 650,926 births
Kathryn Girl
#714 455,423 births
Katie Girl
#576 241,285 births
Katelyn Girl
#927 134,049 births
Compare Kathy side by side: Kathy vs Kathleen Kathy vs Katherine Kathy vs Kathryn
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kathy
Collette #2698
7,672 births · Peak 1966
Janeth #2700
4,792 births · Peak 2003
Rosario #2697
10,974 births · Peak 1993
Wylie #2701
792 births · Peak 2025
Reva #2696
16,048 births · Peak 1921
Amaryllis #2702
1,852 births · Peak 2023
Eulalia #2695
4,854 births · Peak 1921
Leanne #2703
29,627 births · Peak 1969
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, 1910–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Kathy: #2699 Girls' Name - 334,131 Births, Peak 1958." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/kathy. 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 Kathy 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.