Kate
Girl name · #520 in 2025 · Rare
In 2025, 576 baby girls were named Kate, placing it at #520 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #222, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 3,125 girls born in 2025 was named Kate.
Babies named Kate per year. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Kate first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 299 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2007, when 2,550 girls were named Kate — good for #136 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.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Kate against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Kate in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Kate is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Kate will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Kate is most common
Geography matters for names, and Kate is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Kate is most common in UT (1.6 per 1,000), ID (1.5 per 1,000), LA (1.2 per 1,000), IA (1.1 per 1,000), AR (1 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.4 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Kate is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Nicknames & related forms of Kate
Kate belongs to the Katherine family — closely related nicknames and spellings of the same name.
KatherineKateKatieKathyKatKittyKaty
Counted as one name, the Katherine family went to about 2,805 girls in 2025 — together they'd rank around #88, versus #520 for Kate alone.
Names like Kate
Statistically, parents drawn to Kate tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Kyla, Kira, Kylee, Allie, and Skye.
KylaKiraKyleeAllieSkyeNadiaDulceKyra
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Kate | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 576 | #520 |
| 2024 | 572 | #533 |
| 2023 | 640 | #478 |
| 2022 | 695 | #456 |
| 2021 | 758 | #414 |
| 2020 | 765 | #411 |
| 2019 | 989 | #323 |
| 2018 | 1,163 | #285 |
| 2017 | 1,170 | #274 |
| 2016 | 1,389 | #234 |
| 2015 | 1,477 | #222 |
| 2014 | 1,620 | #208 |
| 2013 | 1,738 | #185 |
| 2012 | 1,643 | #192 |
| 2011 | 1,791 | #175 |
| 2010 | 1,490 | #208 |
| 2009 | 1,989 | #159 |
| 2008 | 2,421 | #139 |
| 2007 | 2,550 | #136 |
| 2006 | 2,441 | #142 |
| 2005 | 2,404 | #141 |
| 2004 | 2,218 | #147 |
| 2003 | 2,055 | #161 |
| 2002 | 1,667 | #193 |
| 2001 | 1,626 | #200 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Kate a popular girl name?
Kate ranked #520 among girls in 2025 with 576 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #222.
When was the name Kate most popular?
Kate peaked in 2007, when 2,550 American girls received the name (ranked #136 that year). Since 2007 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Kate?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 3,125 newborn American girls was named Kate. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "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.