Katelyn
Girl name · #1078 in 2025 · Uniqueness 76/100
Katelyn ranks #1078 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 225 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #239, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 8,000 girls born in 2025 was named Katelyn.
The 55-year story
Katelyn first appears in the Social Security records in 1970, when 9 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1993, when 5,975 girls were named Katelyn — good for #54 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 Katelyn per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Katelyn against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Katelyn in class?
Katelyn scores 76 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "rare" band. A high score means genuine rarity — your Katelyn will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Katelyn is most common
Geography matters for names, and Katelyn is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Katelyns were CA (30), TX (29), MI (12), FL (10), PA (10). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Katelyn
Statistically, parents drawn to Katelyn tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Kaitlyn, Kaylyn, Caitlyn, Ashlyn, and Madalyn.
KaitlynKaylynCaitlynAshlynMadalynKimberlynJacklynAllyson
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Katelyn | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 225 | #1076 |
| 2024 | 286 | #926 |
| 2023 | 315 | #850 |
| 2022 | 309 | #901 |
| 2021 | 376 | #761 |
| 2020 | 420 | #676 |
| 2019 | 576 | #531 |
| 2018 | 619 | #503 |
| 2017 | 768 | #413 |
| 2016 | 871 | #376 |
| 2015 | 1,385 | #239 |
| 2014 | 1,924 | #172 |
| 2013 | 2,149 | #143 |
| 2012 | 2,416 | #132 |
| 2011 | 2,842 | #106 |
| 2010 | 2,959 | #103 |
| 2009 | 3,571 | #90 |
| 2008 | 3,976 | #80 |
| 2007 | 4,259 | #75 |
| 2006 | 4,890 | #61 |
| 2005 | 4,928 | #59 |
| 2004 | 4,952 | #59 |
| 2003 | 5,054 | #58 |
| 2002 | 5,267 | #53 |
| 2001 | 5,441 | #52 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Katelyn a popular girl name?
Katelyn ranked #1078 among girls in 2025 with 225 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #239.
When was the name Katelyn most popular?
Katelyn peaked in 1993, when 5,975 American girls received the name (ranked #54 that year). Since 1993 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Katelyn?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 8,000 newborn American girls was named Katelyn. It scores 76/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify 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.