Caitlin
Girl name · #2337 in 2025 · Very rare
In 2025, 78 baby girls were named Caitlin, placing it at #2337 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #610, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 23,077 girls born in 2025 was named Caitlin.
The 70-year story
Caitlin first appears in the Social Security records in 1955, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1988, when 7,246 girls were named Caitlin — good for #44 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Caitlin per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Caitlin against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Caitlin in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Caitlin is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Caitlin will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Caitlin is most common
State-level data for Caitlin is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Caitlin
Statistically, parents drawn to Caitlin tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Kaitlin, Devin, Courtney, Jacklyn, and Ashton.
KaitlinDevinCourtneyJacklynAshtonShainaCaitlynChristian
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Caitlin | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 78 | #2326 |
| 2024 | 121 | #1681 |
| 2023 | 80 | #2288 |
| 2022 | 86 | #2193 |
| 2021 | 85 | #2186 |
| 2020 | 110 | #1792 |
| 2019 | 142 | #1523 |
| 2018 | 166 | #1360 |
| 2017 | 161 | #1416 |
| 2016 | 218 | #1152 |
| 2015 | 477 | #610 |
| 2014 | 628 | #496 |
| 2013 | 654 | #468 |
| 2012 | 741 | #424 |
| 2011 | 803 | #393 |
| 2010 | 945 | #339 |
| 2009 | 1,216 | #267 |
| 2008 | 1,459 | #235 |
| 2007 | 1,530 | #230 |
| 2006 | 1,653 | #209 |
| 2005 | 1,778 | #193 |
| 2004 | 2,050 | #161 |
| 2003 | 2,311 | #142 |
| 2002 | 2,743 | #123 |
| 2001 | 3,456 | #89 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Caitlin a popular girl name?
Caitlin ranked #2337 among girls in 2025 with 78 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #610.
When was the name Caitlin most popular?
Caitlin peaked in 1988, when 7,246 American girls received the name (ranked #44 that year). Since 1988 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Caitlin?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 23,077 newborn American girls was named Caitlin. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.