Kathleen
#1,150 for girls in 2025, 201 births · Last seen for boys in 1991 at #8,236
Given to girls 99.8% of the time
- Peak · girls
- 1949 · 26,357 births
- Debut · girls
- 21 births
- In top 100 · girls
- 72 yrsof 146 years
- Total births · girls
- 713,645since 1880
Kathleen over time
Rank among girls' names. Click any year to open it.
Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.
Show data table
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | #1,150 | 201 | — | |
| 2024 | #1,099 | 223 | — | |
| 2023 | #1,018 | 248 | — | |
| 2022 | #1,095 | 228 | — | |
| 2021 | #987 | 262 | — | |
| 2020 | #1,004 | 253 | — | |
| 2019 | #944 | 280 | — | |
| 2018 | #883 | 306 | — | |
| 2017 | #870 | 314 | — | |
| 2016 | #838 | 341 | — | |
| 2015 | #823 | 341 | — | |
| 2014 | #674 | 422 | — | |
| 2013 | #660 | 432 | — | |
| 2012 | #661 | 427 | — | |
| 2011 | #630 | 451 | — | |
| 2010 | #594 | 495 | — | |
| 2009 | #563 | 542 | — | |
| 2008 | #448 | 704 | — | |
| 2007 | #422 | 779 | — | |
| 2006 | #371 | 878 | — | |
| 2005 | #339 | 934 | — | |
| 2004 | #316 | 1,002 | — | |
| 2003 | #284 | 1,096 | — | |
| 2002 | #262 | 1,208 | — | |
| 2001 | #236 | 1,337 | — | |
| 2000 | #204 | 1,585 | — | |
| 1999 | #192 | 1,630 | — | |
| 1998 | #171 | 1,739 | — | |
| 1997 | #175 | 1,742 | — | |
| 1996 | #152 | 2,107 | — | |
| 1995 | #139 | 2,280 | — | |
| 1994 | #130 | 2,430 | — | |
| 1993 | #118 | 2,742 | — | |
| 1992 | #108 | 3,135 | — | |
| 1991 | #102 | 3,371 | #8,236 | 5 |
| 1990 | #92 | 3,670 | #3,971 | 14 |
| 1989 | #90 | 3,596 | #2,416 | 27 |
| 1988 | #75 | 3,927 | #4,162 | 11 |
| 1987 | #72 | 4,165 | #2,641 | 20 |
| 1986 | #68 | 4,129 | #3,005 | 16 |
| 1985 | #68 | 4,087 | #2,357 | 22 |
| 1984 | #71 | 3,985 | #2,098 | 25 |
| 1983 | #73 | 3,923 | #2,408 | 20 |
| 1982 | #77 | 3,949 | #2,518 | 19 |
| 1981 | #82 | 3,776 | #3,030 | 14 |
| 1980 | #82 | 3,857 | #3,838 | 10 |
| 1979 | #84 | 3,641 | #4,403 | 8 |
| 1978 | #79 | 3,743 | #2,568 | 17 |
| 1977 | #80 | 3,649 | #2,665 | 16 |
| 1976 | #82 | 3,405 | #2,709 | 15 |
| 1975 | #80 | 3,545 | #2,361 | 18 |
| 1974 | #76 | 3,953 | #1,934 | 23 |
| 1973 | #68 | 4,250 | #2,124 | 19 |
| 1972 | #57 | 5,097 | #1,928 | 22 |
| 1971 | #53 | 6,154 | #2,279 | 17 |
| 1970 | #45 | 7,410 | #1,847 | 23 |
| 1969 | #42 | 8,299 | #1,680 | 24 |
| 1968 | #40 | 8,729 | #1,339 | 33 |
| 1967 | #40 | 9,209 | #1,364 | 31 |
| 1966 | #37 | 10,491 | #1,327 | 33 |
| 1965 | #34 | 11,778 | #1,335 | 33 |
| 1964 | #30 | 13,231 | #1,487 | 28 |
| 1963 | #28 | 13,547 | #1,455 | 29 |
| 1962 | #29 | 14,188 | #1,423 | 30 |
| 1961 | #29 | 15,395 | #1,552 | 27 |
| 1960 | #27 | 16,085 | #1,400 | 32 |
| 1959 | #23 | 17,629 | #1,117 | 48 |
| 1958 | #21 | 19,205 | #1,081 | 50 |
| 1957 | #21 | 19,742 | #1,300 | 36 |
| 1956 | #17 | 21,377 | #1,203 | 40 |
| 1955 | #17 | 22,014 | #1,313 | 33 |
| 1954 | #14 | 22,455 | #1,169 | 41 |
| 1953 | #14 | 23,731 | #1,261 | 35 |
| 1952 | #11 | 25,767 | #1,195 | 38 |
| 1951 | #10 | 26,716 | #1,279 | 33 |
| 1950 | #10 | 25,706 | #1,123 | 40 |
| 1949 | #9 | 26,357 | #923 | 56 |
| 1948 | #10 | 23,257 | #1,160 | 38 |
| 1947 | #11 | 22,095 | #1,036 | 48 |
| 1946 | #16 | 18,760 | #1,217 | 33 |
| 1945 | #19 | 13,802 | #1,103 | 35 |
| 1944 | #20 | 13,004 | #1,282 | 27 |
| 1943 | #22 | 12,153 | #1,187 | 33 |
| 1942 | #24 | 10,696 | #1,139 | 36 |
| 1941 | #36 | 7,160 | #1,209 | 30 |
| 1940 | #40 | 5,697 | #1,311 | 26 |
| 1939 | #48 | 4,656 | #1,578 | 18 |
| 1938 | #58 | 4,228 | #1,559 | 19 |
| 1937 | #61 | 3,743 | #1,828 | 15 |
| 1936 | #67 | 3,352 | #2,062 | 12 |
| 1935 | #71 | 3,353 | #1,929 | 14 |
| 1934 | #74 | 3,279 | #1,425 | 23 |
| 1933 | #77 | 3,121 | #1,829 | 15 |
| 1932 | #83 | 2,945 | #2,101 | 13 |
| 1931 | #87 | 2,799 | #2,101 | 13 |
| 1930 | #84 | 3,074 | #1,889 | 16 |
| 1929 | #89 | 2,941 | #1,672 | 20 |
| 1928 | #82 | 3,151 | #2,048 | 15 |
| 1927 | #83 | 3,265 | #2,912 | 9 |
| 1926 | #83 | 3,277 | #4,201 | 5 |
| 1925 | #81 | 3,503 | #2,588 | 11 |
| 1924 | #76 | 3,663 | #3,505 | 7 |
| 1923 | #70 | 3,754 | #2,772 | 10 |
| 1922 | #80 | 3,466 | — | |
| 1921 | #83 | 3,419 | #4,322 | 5 |
| 1920 | #91 | 3,158 | — | |
| 1919 | #101 | 2,587 | — | |
| 1918 | #99 | 2,629 | — | |
| 1917 | #101 | 2,358 | — | |
| 1916 | #104 | 2,154 | #2,926 | 8 |
| 1915 | #104 | 1,940 | #3,392 | 6 |
| 1914 | #110 | 1,475 | — | |
| 1913 | #110 | 1,179 | — | |
| 1912 | #118 | 985 | — | |
| 1911 | #126 | 663 | — | |
| 1910 | #131 | 622 | — | |
| 1909 | #135 | 527 | — | |
| 1908 | #132 | 527 | — | |
| 1907 | #149 | 440 | — | |
| 1906 | #143 | 412 | — | |
| 1905 | #152 | 386 | — | |
| 1904 | #147 | 362 | — | |
| 1903 | #149 | 352 | — | |
| 1902 | #159 | 325 | — | |
| 1901 | #169 | 272 | — | |
| 1900 | #170 | 321 | — | |
| 1899 | #184 | 230 | — | |
| 1898 | #163 | 306 | — | |
| 1897 | #173 | 250 | — | |
| 1896 | #169 | 259 | — | |
| 1895 | #196 | 192 | — | |
| 1894 | #205 | 168 | — | |
| 1893 | #196 | 170 | — | |
| 1892 | #208 | 149 | — | |
| 1891 | #227 | 113 | — | |
| 1890 | #239 | 105 | — | |
| 1889 | #251 | 87 | — | |
| 1888 | #286 | 67 | — | |
| 1887 | #302 | 50 | — | |
| 1886 | #318 | 43 | — | |
| 1885 | #329 | 38 | — | |
| 1884 | #385 | 27 | — | |
| 1883 | #411 | 21 | — | |
| 1882 | #377 | 22 | — | |
| 1881 | #470 | 13 | — | |
| 1880 | #352 | 21 | — | |
In the first year the SSA published name data, Kathleen was already there! It came in at #352, and was given to 21 baby girls.
Quietest stretch: 1881, when fewer than 14 girls a year got the name.
See more about Kathleen
- 51 spots since 2024 (#1,099 → #1,150)
- 146 spots since 2020 (#1,004 → #1,150)
- 327 spots since 2015 (#823 → #1,150)
- Biggest jump: 93 spots in 1882 (#470 → #377)
- Biggest drop: 149 spots in 2015 (#674 → #823)
- Debuted 1880
- Peaked 1949 at #9 (26,357 births)
- Births halved by 1965, 16 yrs later
- Top 10: 4 yrs · run 1948–1951
- Top 100: 72 yrs · run 1920–1990
- Top 1,000: 141 yrs · run 1880–2019
- Highest: 1 in 65 girls born in 1949 were named Kathleen (1.5%)
- Latest: 1 in 7,996 girls born in 2025 (0.01%)
- 31.4% of all girls named Kathleen (224,342) were born in this decade
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 389 | #251 (1889) | #348 |
| 1890s | 1,942 | #163 (1898) | #196 |
| 1900s | 3,924 | #132 (1908) | #151 |
| 1910s | 16,592 | #99 (1918) | #110 |
| 1920s | 33,597 | #70 (1923) | #82 |
| 1930s | 34,550 | #48 (1939) | #71 |
| 1940s | 152,981 | #9 (1949) | #21 |
| 1950s | 224,342 | #10 (1951) | #16 |
| 1960s | 120,952 | #27 (1960) | #34 |
| 1970s | 44,847 | #45 (1970) | #70 |
| 1980s | 39,394 | #68 (1986) | #76 |
| 1990s | 24,846 | #92 (1990) | #138 |
| 2000s | 10,065 | #204 (2000) | #345 |
| 2010s | 3,809 | #594 (2010) | #758 |
| 2020s | 1,415 | #987 (2021) | #1,059 |
All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 girls in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.
Kathleen in 1956
Top girls' names in 1956
Top boys' names in 1956
More about 1956
girls
2,007,703 girls got a published name in 1956; 1 in 94 of them was named Kathleen, which outranked 99.8% of the 6,891 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 21.4% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.
boys
2,115,302 boys got a published name in 1956; 1 in 52,883 of them was named Kathleen, which outranked 73.0% of the 4,455 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 31.5% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).
- #1,193Merritt41
- #1,193Pamela41
- #1,193Reginal41
- #1,203Kathleen40
- #1,203Amado40
- #1,203Burnell40
- #1,203Cleophus40
- #1,218Alvaro39
- #1,218Aurelio39
- #1,218Cheyenne39
Tied with 14 names at #1,203; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.