Kathleen
Girl name · #1151 in 2025 · Rare
In 2025, 201 baby girls were named Kathleen, placing it at #1151 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #823, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 8,955 girls born in 2025 was named Kathleen.
The 145-year story
Kathleen first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 21 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1951, when 26,716 girls were named Kathleen — good for #10 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. 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 Kathleen per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Kathleen against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Kathleen in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Kathleen is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Kathleen will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Kathleen is most common
Geography matters for names, and Kathleen is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Kathleen is most common in PA (0.4 per 1,000), MA (0.4 per 1,000), OH (0.3 per 1,000), IL (0.2 per 1,000), NC (0.2 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.2 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Kathleen is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Kathleen
Statistically, parents drawn to Kathleen tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Eileen, Karen, Colleen, Ellen, and Maureen.
EileenKarenColleenEllenMaureenCarolynNoreenPatricia
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Kathleen | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 201 | #1150 |
| 2024 | 223 | #1099 |
| 2023 | 248 | #1018 |
| 2022 | 228 | #1095 |
| 2021 | 262 | #987 |
| 2020 | 253 | #1004 |
| 2019 | 280 | #944 |
| 2018 | 306 | #883 |
| 2017 | 314 | #870 |
| 2016 | 341 | #838 |
| 2015 | 341 | #823 |
| 2014 | 422 | #674 |
| 2013 | 432 | #660 |
| 2012 | 427 | #661 |
| 2011 | 451 | #630 |
| 2010 | 495 | #594 |
| 2009 | 542 | #563 |
| 2008 | 704 | #448 |
| 2007 | 779 | #422 |
| 2006 | 878 | #371 |
| 2005 | 934 | #339 |
| 2004 | 1,002 | #316 |
| 2003 | 1,096 | #284 |
| 2002 | 1,208 | #262 |
| 2001 | 1,337 | #236 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Kathleen a popular girl name?
Kathleen ranked #1151 among girls in 2025 with 201 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #823.
When was the name Kathleen most popular?
Kathleen peaked in 1951, when 26,716 American girls received the name (ranked #10 that year). Since 1951 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Kathleen?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 8,955 newborn American girls was named Kathleen. 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.